Activation Status

Activation levels are used to communicate the status of the TCARES team. Team members should be familiar with the activation levels and be prepared to activate should the need arise.

When a disaster threatens or strikes the area, the Emergency Coordinator, in collaboration with Section Manager, may declare any of three levels of alert in the TCARES. Operators are strongly encouraged to review the Rally Plan for further information.

Activation Levels

No Alert

No Alert is the normal situation for amateur radio communications. This means that no state of alert or emergency exists. When a disaster strikes or threatens any South Texas community, affected ECs and DECs may declare any of four levels of alert of their local organization.

Level 3 – Monitoring

This level will serve to notify ARES operators that their services may be needed on short notice any time in the next 48-72 hours. The alert may apply to the entire Section or to specific Districts or Counties. Omission of any area does not prohibit others from taking appropriate precautionary steps. The declaration of Level 3 Monitoring Phase alerts ECs, Net Managers, and other key emergency communications officials to prepare for short-notice calls. All ARES personnel in the alerted Districts or Counties should monitor designated net frequencies and keep closely in touch.  Nets operating in Level 3 Monitoring Phase customarily run ad hoc (i.e., they are not directed.)

Radio operators and officials should monitor the appropriate frequencies for information and for possible increases in or cancellation of the alert status.

TCARES Members should:

• Carry HT Radios at all times
• Verify equipment ready status
• Verify adequate emergency supplies
• Ensure batteries are charged and generators are fueled
• Monitor repeater frequencies every 30 minutes for net activation

Level 2 – Partial Activation

This is descriptive of operational status. It is usually issued by DECs or ECs and designates net activations, staffing requests, assignments, and other such operational functions to perform specific tasks. The alert level becomes Partial Activation in a County or District when specific duty posts are staffed and become operational, and/or a net control operator opens the net. Most emergencies, even severe ones, can be handled without ever going beyond Partially Activated.

TCARES Members should:

• Carry HT Radios at all times
• Check into appropriate net on repeater
• Check into Discord
• Ready go-kits for deployment
• Trailer team should be on standby for trailer move (within 1 hour)

Level 1 – Full Activation

This is the highest possible level of alert in an emergency communications operation. It is useful for maintaining tight control over HF circuits where heavy traffic and large numbers of stations may increase channel load on nets. When distress traffic is being handled on any emergency net or frequency, the activated level is automatically Level 1 Full Scale Activation and remains so until all distress traffic has been cleared.  Full Scale Activation can be declared at the Section level only by the South Texas ARES Section Emergency Coordinator. Full Scale Activation is declared by issuance of a Priority bulletin to be transmitted on all active net frequencies. It applies to all nets and geographic areas designated in the formal order.

TCARES Members should:

• Carry HT Radios at all times
• Check into appropriate net on repeater / stay on net
• Follow Rally Plan
• Trailer team should meet at trailer pick up spot
• Members should follow wilderness protocol and report anything back to Net Control

Stand Down

This authorizes DECs and ECs to begin the stand-down phase of the activation. Stand Down is permissive only; it does not require that operations be shut down in the specified area. It simply advises the designated DECs and/or ECs that no apparent reasons exist for continuing operation unless they have local requirements. The DEC and EC then may reduce operating hours, restrict operations or close down designated nets as the emergency passes and traffic loads subside.