Glossary

• AAR - After Action Report
  A report submitted after an event or activation detailing the activities conducted. This will include things that worked, things that need improvement, suggest training changes, restoring supplies, etc.

• ACS - Auxiliary Communications Service
  This State of California program called ACS was changed to Communication Reserve Unit (CRU) in April of 2017. See CRU.

• ADEC - Assistant District Emergency Coordinator
  An assistant to the DEC (District Emergency Coordinator). A list of all county ARES/RACES staff can be found here.

• AEC - Assistant Emergency Coordinator
  An assistant to the city EC (Emergency Coordinator).

• AlertSCC
  AlertSCC is a free and easy way to get emergency alerts sent directly to your cell phone or mobile device, land line, or email. Alerts can include information about: fire, earthquake, severe weather, or crime incidents that affect your neighborhood. Instructions to prepare for, or recovered from, an incident can also be provided. Alerts are sent by the local city or county to alert residents. The County RACES database also uploads select contact data into AlertSCC for notification purpose during an exercise or real activation.

• Anderson Power Pole
  State of California OES prescribes the Anderson Power Pole as the standard DC power connector for use by State ACS/RACES personnel, and recommends its use by County and City RACES personnel as well.  Using this standard, highly reliable connector allows quick and easy installation and substitution of radios, power supplies, batteries, and other equipment.

• APRS - Automatic Packet Reporting System
  Sometimes incorrectly called Automatic Position Reporting System, APRS is a communications protocol that allows stations to send location, weather and other data real-time.

• ARRL - American Radio Relay League
  The national association of amateur radio in the United States. With more than 161,000 members, ARRL is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world. ARRL's mission is based on five pillars: Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology, and Membership.

• BBS - - Bulletin Board System
  A server packet station which sends, receives and distributes bulletins and messages for the benefit of packet users. In Santa Clara County, there are 4 primary BBSs strategically located throughout the county. Most agencies can access at least 2 of these.

• CAL FIRE - California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
  CAL FIRE protects lives, property and natural resources from fire; responds to emergencies of all types, and protects and preserves timberlands, wildlands, and urban forests and provides varied emergency services in 36 of the State's 58 counties via contracts with local governments.

• Cal OES - California Office of Emergency Services
  

• CAP - Civil Air Patrol (145.150 MHz)
  

• CDF - California Department of Forestry
  Sometimes used to refer to CAL FIRE which is part of the CDF.

• CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
  The CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

• Chief
  The ICS title for individuals responsible for command of functional sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Also used to designate the highest ranking position in a department - Police or Fire Chief.

• Credential
  The Credential Program defines standards of performance and includes several types and levels of qualifications. These qualifications are the basis for resource typing and effective and efficient resource assignment. Credentials are earned by participation in training classes, exercises, public service events, and a peer-review of operator performance.

• CRO - Chief Radio Officer
  The leader appointed by a government agency for a RACES group. See also EC and DEC.

• CRU - Communications Reserve Unit formerly ACS.
  CRU is an all-volunteer Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) organization, providing support to the Telecommunications Branch (TCOMM) of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

• COW - Cellular On Wheels
  A COW is a portable cellular base station used to provide temporary wireless network coverage and/or capacity. COWs are most often used to add temporary additional network capacity where there is none, such as in disaster areas where the permanent base stations have been damaged, or for large public events where cellular demand may exceed local equipment capabilities.

• CTCSS -Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System
  A sub-audible tone that is frequently used on repeaters. The signal “opens” the repeater for use. See also PL Tone.

• DEC - District Emergency Coordinator
  An appointed ARRL official who directs the emergency Amateur Radio efforts within a district, in our case the county.  In Santa Clara County the ARES DEC is also the RACES Chief Radio Officer (CRO).  A list of all county ARES/RACES staff can be found here.

• DOC - Department Operations Center
  A location where incidents are managed for a department or organization. I.E., Water District, Hospital, Health Center, Public Works, etc.

• DSW - Disaster Service Worker
  To work under a RACES activation you need to be registered as a DSW by the governmental agency that has activated you.  The DSW registration provides workers compensation and limited liability insurance coverage when activated by that agency and acting within the scope of your training and assignment.

• DSW ID Card
  Identification card issued by the government agency you have registered with as a Disaster Service Worker.

• EAS - Emergency Alert System
  An emergency broadcast system using public communications (TV and radio) to alert the general public to an emergency situation.

• EC - Emergency Coordinator
  An appointed ARRL official who directs the emergency Amateur Radio efforts within a geographic area, in our case a city.  Within Santa Clara County the ARES EC is also the RACES Radio Officer (RO).  A list of EC's can be found here.

• EC Council -
  A quarterly meeting of representatives from each city/agency ARES/RACES leadership in Santa Clara County for the purpose of discussing organizational and management ideas, strategies, and best practices. Synchronize planning, operations, expectations. City/Agency ECs and AECs and county ADECs are welcome and encouraged to attend.

• EOC - Emergency Operations Center
  A location within a city, county, state or agency from which emergency operations are directed. Generally staffed with trained and Credential personnel.

• EMA - Emergency Managers Association
  A committee whose membership consists of the managers of all city Offices of Emergency Services in the County, the manager of the County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and the Emergency Managers of allied organizations.

• EmComm - Emergency Communications
  A general term referring to the act of, or the person providing communications services during an emergency.

• ExPlan - Exercise Plan
  An Exercise Plan (ExPlan) gives elected and appointed officials, observers, media personnel, and players from participating organizations information they need to observe or participate in the exercise. Some exercise material is intended for the exclusive use of exercise planners, controllers, and evaluators, but players may view other materials that are necessary to their performance.

• FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
  The federal government agency concerned with disaster preparation and disaster recovery. FEMA provides on-line ICS training for emergency responders, businesses, and volunteers. California is in FEMA region 9. FEMA is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

• ExPlan - Exercise Plan
  A document providing the plans for a training exercise.

• First Responder
  The first person or agency to be sent to the scene of an emergency.  This is fire (FD), law enforcement (PD), or emergency medical personnel (EMS).

• FRS - Family Radio Service
  An unlicensed personal radio service in the UHF band.  All radios in this service must be hand-held units transmitting no more than 1/2 watt.

• GMRS - General Mobile Radio Service
  A licensed personal radio service in the UHF band.  For the price of the license fee (there is no exam) you may set up base, mobile, and/or repeater systems running up to 50 watts.

• Go-Bag/Go-Kit
  A bag or pack that has your "call-out" gear (emergency activation gear). Suggested Go-Kit contents.

• H&W - Health & Welfare Check
  When operating on a net, you will be queried periodically to make sure you are ok and still able to complete your assignment. This ensures both you and your equipment are ok. If you do not respond to a H&W check, Net Control will assume you need help and will send resources to locate and assist you.

• IAP - Incident Action Plan
  A plan containing general objectives reflecting the overall strategy for managing an incident. It may include the identification of operational resources and assignments. It may also include attachments that provide direction and important information for management of the incident during one or more operational periods.

• IC - Incident Commander
  In the ICS system the Incident Commander is responsible for the overall management of the incident/event and determines which positions to staff in order to maintain a manageable span of control and ensure appropriate attention to the necessary management functions.

• ICP - Incident Command Post
  The location at which the primary command functions are executed. The ICP may be co-located with the incident base or other incident facilities.

• ICS - Incident Command System
  A management tool to bring multiple agencies together under one unified command structure during an emergency. Can be easily scaled to any size of event whether planned or unplanned (emergency).

• ICS Forms
  Forms used to document activities and messages during an activation or exercise. A list of the most common forms used within Santa Clara County is provided here.

• JNOS
  A NOS (Network Operating System) that can be used as a platform for exchanging messages using a wide range of methods such as Internet, amateur radio, TCP/IP. JNOS is used by Santa Clara County for our Packet BBS systems.

• J-Pole Antenna
  The J-pole antenna, more properly known as the J antenna, is a vertical omnidirectional transmitting antenna used in the VHF & UHF frequency bands. Light and portable this antenna is widely used in EmComm applications.

• MAC - Mutual Aid Communicator (Santa Clara County RACES term)
  Credentialed amateur radio operators who are willing and able to be assigned to another city or agency within the county. Not to be confused with MAC Group.

• MAC Group - Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (FEMA term)
  A group that, when activated, provides coordinated decision-making and resource allocation among cooperating agencies, establishes the priorities among incidents, harmonizes agency policies, and provides strategic guidance and direction to support incident management.

• MARS - Military Auxiliary Radio System
  A military-run radio system that uses frequencies close to the amateur radio bands.  MARS sometimes interacts directly with amateur radio, especially for message handling.

• Mesh Networking -
  The use of microwave frequencies in the Amateur Radio Bands to create a fault tolerant wireless network for the purpose of sending high speed digital data.

• MHJOC - Medical Health Joint Operations Center
  Obsolete term, See PHDOC.

• Mike-Mike - Modified Mercalli Scale
  A reporting scale used to provide a non-subjective classification of earthquake damage.

• MOU - Memorandum Of Understanding
  A written agreement between two organizations describing their cooperative efforts.  For our purposes, a written agreement between ARES®/RACES groups and their Served Agency(ies).  This agreement details what services will be provided by the ARES®/RACES group and what commitment the Served Agency makes in return.

• NC/NCS/NCO - Net Control / Net Control Station / Net Control Operator
  A station, or more likely, an operator who is running a radio network.  He or she is charged with maintaining the orderly flow of traffic on the assigned net.

• Nets
  An Amateur Radio Net exists whenever 3 or more operators are in simultaneous contact with each other for the purpose of exchanging information or passing operational or official (3rd Party) traffic.
  
  
  • Open Net
    Stations call each other directly to pass traffic
  • Directed Net
    Stations call only net control directly; they go direct to other stations only with net control permission
  • Command Net
    Official traffic between Operational Area (county) command staff, and agency or city Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) command staff
  • Message Net
    Official message traffic between agencies or cities and the county.
  • Hospital Net
    Official message traffic between the Public Health Department Operations Center (PHDOC) and hospitals.
  • Resource Net
    Official traffic; type of traffic depends on level of operation. Level 1: Information Gathering; Level 2: City activation, referral to city nets; Level 3: Coordination of mutual aid; tracking county resources
  • Tactical Net
    A radio net organized for the purpose of handling official and unofficial traffic of a local nature

• NGO - Non-Governmental Organization
  A non-governmental organization is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically non-profit entities, and many of them are active in humanitarianism or disaster services; they can also include clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others.

• NIMS - National Incident Management System
  NIMS is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines.

• NTS - National Traffic System
  An ARRL-run network of operators who pass telegram-like messages throughout the United States.

• NVIS - Near Vertical Incidence Skywave
  An antenna system designed to send HF transmissions almost straight up, where they bounce off of the ionosphere and return to earth to cover a wide area around the sending station.

• NWR - NOAA Weather Radio
  The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information direct from nearby National Weather Service offices.

• OES / OEM - Office of Emergency Services / Office of Emergency Management
  The organization at the state, county, or local government level charged with the responsibility for planning, preparation, and recovery from disaster operations. For Santa Clara County it the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

• Operational Area
  A State OES definition of the entire county, including the unincorporated county land together with all the cities and agencies within the county. Our operational area is Santa Clara County (often abbreviated as SCC or SCCo in documentation).

• Outpost
  Outpost is a program used within Packet Communications to provide a Windows based graphical user interface. See also PacItForms.

• Packet Radio
  A digital communications system using computers connected via Amateur Radio stations.  Provides a reliable method for transmitting large amounts of data quickly and accurately.  See also TNC.

• PacItForms
  An add-on to Outpost that provides a Windows browser based form that looks like the paper copies and WebEOC copies of the commonly used forms.

• PHDOC - Public Health Department Operations Center
  An emergency operations center for the county Public Health Department where medical resources are coordinated between hospitals and other medical facilities within the county. Formerly the Medical Health Joint Operations Center (MHJOC).

• PIO - Public Information Officer
  The Public Information Officer (PIO), part of the ICS structure, is responsible for interfacing with the public, the media, and with other jurisdictions/organizations with incident-related information needs.

• PL - PL Tone
  PL, an acronym for Private Line, is a communications industry signaling scheme using the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, or CTCSS. It is used to prevent a repeater from responding to unwanted signals or interference.

• POD - Point of Distribution
  PODs are centralized locations where the public can pick up life sustaining commodities following a disaster or emergency. Commodities usually include shelf stable food, water, medical supplies, medications or inoculations.

• PSAP - Public Safety Answering Point
  A Public Safety Answering Point is responsible for receiving 911 calls and processing those calls according to a specific operating policy. You might think of these as a dedicated call center for answering emergency phone calls and dispatching appropriate services such as Police, Fire, EMS, etc.

• RACES - Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
  The FEMA program for organizing amateur radio operators registered with civil defense organizations (cities and counties) into a reserve of emergency communicators.

• RDF - Radio Direction Finding
  Refers to the use of specialized instruments, antennas, and methodologies to determine the physical location of a source of RF energy or "targets". The simplest RF direction finding system consists of a directive antenna and a single receiver. The antenna is pointed in different directions while the receiver indicates the received signal strength; the magnitude of the signal is used to determine the direction of a transmitter.

• Repeater
  A station which receives transmissions from a mobile, portable, or fixed station and re-transmits them for extended range usually with higher output power.  Generally located at a relatively high elevation, with a better antenna, increased transmit power, and with backup batteries or generator.

• SATERN - Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
  The Salvation Army's internally managed amateur radio effort for emergency communications.

• SCC or SCCo - Santa Clara County
  An abbreviation for Santa Clara County.

• SEC - Section Emergency Coordinator
  An appointed ARRL official who directs the ARES emergency efforts within a section.

• SEMS - Standardize Emergency Management System
  SEMS is the cornerstone of California’s emergency response system and the fundamental structure for the response phase of emergency management. The system unifies all elements of California’s emergency management community into a single integrated system and standardizes key elements. SEMS incorporates:
  • Incident Command System (ICS) – A field-level emergency response system based on management by objectives.
  • Multi/ Inter-agency coordination – Affected agencies working together to coordinate allocations of resources and emergency response activities.
  • Mutual Aid – A system for obtaining additional emergency resources from non-affected jurisdictions.
  • Operational Area Concept – County and its sub-divisions to coordinate damage information, resource requests, and emergency response.

• Served Agency
  As an "emergency communicator" you will always be working for someone.  You will be assisting a civil agency (police, fire, city, etcetera) or other emergency relief organization (hospital, Red Cross, etcetera).  The agency or organization to which you provide communications services is the "served agency".

• Shadow
  Refers to a radio operator assigned to a particular person or VIP to provide them with auxiliary communications. As a Shadow, your role is to follow them around (like their shadow) and provide communications capabilities for them.

• SEMS - Standardized Emergency Management System
  SEMS incorporates the use of the Incident Command System (ICS); the Fire Fighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) agreement; existing multi-agency and inter agency programs; the State's master Mutual Aid agreement and mutual aid program; the Operational Area concept.

• Simplex
  Refers to radio communications where both transmitter and receiver operate on a common frequency without the use of a repeater.

• SKYWARN
  SKYWARN is a program managed by the National Weather Service that utilizes trained volunteer "spotters" to send in real-time on-the-ground reports of severe weather.

• SM - Section Manager
  An elected ARRL official who directs the ARRL's efforts within a sub-section of a region.  Santa Clara County is in the Santa Clara Valley Section (SCVS). The section includes the counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey.

• SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
  The documentated protocol established by an agency for its operations.

• Staging Area
  An area where equipment and personal are checked-in and staged prior to being deployed in response to an event.

• SUV - Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteer
  A person who comes forward during a disaster event who wants to be of help but is untrained, not registered as a DSW, and not affiliated with any organized volunteer group.

• Table Top Exercise -
  An activity in which key personnel assigned emergency management roles and responsibilities are gathered in a non-threatening environment to discuss various simulated emergency situations.

• Tactical Call Sign
  An identifier used by all radio operators at a specific location. They may include jurisdiction names ("Xanadu EOC"), agency names ("Silicon Valley Red Cross"), location names ("Redwood Shelter"), ICS names ("Fire Base 1 Command"), individual names ("EMS Shadow"), or net names ("Resource"). All calls are made with tactical call signs (for example, "Redwood Shelter, this is Xanadu EOC"). Use operator call signs (W6XSC) only to meet FCC requirements (that is, every ten minutes or at the end of a series of transmissions). A Tactical Call Sign is assigned to a location or function, not to an operator.

• TNC - Terminal Node Controller
  Used for Packet communications.  This device acts like a modem between a personal computer and a radio transceiver.

• Traffic
  Messages sent over the air.  This can be written messages for 3rd parties or operational messages between radio operators.

• VOX - Voice-activated Transmit
  A microphone/radio system that uses the operator's voice to activate the transmitter instead of a manual push-to-talk (PTT) button.  Not recommended for emergency communications.

• WebEOC
  WebEOC is a secured, web-based, real-time information sharing system used in the County of Santa Clara to document routine and emergency events/incidents. WebEOC provides a common operating picture and resource request management tool for emergency managers at the local and county levels during exercises, drills, and local or regional emergencies. For backup purposes, SCCo ARES/RACES can send the same forms used by WebEOC via Packet Radio.

This page was last updated 12-Nov-2023