Roadmap to C4

The Communicator IV (C4) is the first credential that an operator is expected to obtain. We have created an on-ramp set of documents to support this endeavor if you care to use this Saratoga process.

• Equipement
• Skills

Here is a review of this credential taken from the Santa Clara County “Amateur  Radio Operator Credentialing Program Handbook” 

Summary

Capabilities and Services

• Capable of performing basic communications assignments, perhaps with coaching
• Capable of handling low-to-medium traffic levels and simple operator-to-operator content
• May be deployed for up to 8 to 12-hour shift (but is prepared for 12 hours in the event of unforeseen problems)
• Equipped for portable and low-power mobile operations

Typical Assignments

• Field checkpoints and observations posts; rovers
• Damage surveys: Windshield surveys, Modified Mercalli surveys; flood level observations
• Crowd observation and reporting; public information assistance
• Lost child / lost parent assistance

Requirements

Administrative

• Must live or work in Santa Clara County or be an active participant in RACES activities within Santa Clara County, and must be willing and able to respond to requests for amateur radio support in their primary jurisdiction within Santa Clara County.
  • Individuals will pick a primary jurisdiction, which is the jurisdiction that will have first priority if the individual is needed. This is typically the individual’s home city or the city where the individual works.
  • Note: Those seeking the Mutual Aid Communicator Endorsement can pick any primary jurisdiction within Santa Clara County, but if their primary jurisdiction doesn’t need them, they must be willing and able to respond to requests elsewhere within Santa Clara County.
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must have a valid Technician class or higher Amateur Radio license
• Must have a valid California Driver’s license or California State-issued Identification card
• Must have or be able to obtain reliable transportation capable of meeting the needs of the assignment
• Must have read and be familiar with the entire “SCCo ARES/RACES Radio Operator Credentialing Program Handbook” (this document)
• Must have read and be familiar with the entire “SCCo ARES/RACES Performance Standards and Best Practices”
• Must be registered as a Disaster Service Worker Volunteer with their primary jurisdiction (the jurisdiction that is signing off on this credential)

Training

• Santa Clara County ARES/RACES training
  • Introduction to Emergency Communications
    • At the local jurisdiction Radio Officer’s discretion, equivalent training or experience can be substituted
  • Fundamentals of Emergency Communications (attendance required)
  • There is no requirement for completing any of the other ARES/RACES training courses prior to becoming a Type IV Credentialed operator. However, attending the monthly training courses will greatly improve the operator’s knowledge of performance standards and operations and will help to accelerate readiness.
• Emergency Management training:
  • ICS-100 (or IS-100) – Introduction to the Incident Command System
  • ICS-200 (or IS-200) – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
  • IS-700 – Introduction to the National Incident Management System
  • SEMS G606 – Standardized Emergency Management System Introduction Online Course

Equipment

• The candidate will demonstrate that he/she maintains a standard go kit in a deployable condition
  • Deployable means organized, stored in a container or containers that can be used in the field and ready to go at all times
  • Examples of deployable containers are backpacks, transport cases (Pelican, Storm, etc.), or other containers capable of being transported, carried and used in the field under a variety of conditions. They provide protection for and organization of the many small parts.
  • Grocery bags, cardboard boxes and similar containers are not “deployable” because they are difficult to transport and carry and will break or deteriorate with real-world use and in adverse weather conditions.
• The go kit must contain the following equipment:
  • At a minimum all required items in the SCCo ARES/RACES standard 2-hour Carry Kit
  • At a minimum all required items in the SCCo ARES/RACES standard 12-hour Go Kit

Radio Familiarity

• The candidate demonstrates personal HT radio familiarity by manually (via the keypad) configuring radio to perform each of the following without hesitation or delay
  • Simplex without tone
  • Simplex with tone and tone squelch
  • Repeater with offset and CTCSS tone
  • Save configurations to and recall from radio memory
  • Lock keypad or mic controls, if so equipped
  • Full/factory reset (clear all settings) [explain only; demonstration not required]

Participation (within the last two years)

Candidates must complete the following activities to provide them with enough varied experience to demonstrate their readiness for the Type IV credential. At the discretion of the local jurisdiction’s Radio Officer, equivalent participation from other types of activities can be substituted if they provide equivalent experience.

• Minimum of 8: Check into weekly city net
• Minimum of 8: Monitor SPECS or SVECS net
• Minimum of 2: Radio operator duty at quarterly ARES/RACES communications drills (participating at city or county)
  • Provides experience in basic communications, usually in support of a single operational function (Field status reports to local EOC, local jurisdiction EOC to county EOC message handling, …)
• Minimum of 1: Radio operator duty at approved functional or full-scale exercise
  • Provides experience with more complex, multi-dimensional, perhaps multi-location communications situations. Activities can be scripted to provide more concentrated radio operations activity than might normally happen in real time.
• Minimum of 1: Radio operator duty at approved public service event or real emergency incident
  • Provides experience in unscripted, perhaps unpredictable situations which require interaction with the public and/or event officials.

Note that Type IV candidates may enter the program at varying levels of experience and capability from other locations. Therefore, these activities need not be completed within the county or local jurisdiction.

It is up to the local jurisdiction’s Radio Officer to determine if the candidate has completed activities equivalent with the above recommendations and has sufficiently demonstrated their ability to perform according to the “Performance Standards”. Some candidates may require more participation than the above minimums. But no candidate should be recommended for the Type IV credential without at least the above minimum participation.

Performance

The candidate has demonstrated:

• That he/she has functioned effectively and professionally in support of a served agency
• The he/she has the maturity, professionalism, and experience to perform all assignments according to the “Santa Clara County ARES/RACES Performance Standards and Best Practices”

Ongoing Participation

Maintaining a credential involves ongoing training and participation. Procedures improve and evolve. Forms are updated and added. Equipment is added or changed. Skills and knowledge degrade over time. Regular training and participation help to ensure that all operators maintain their proficiency with current standard operations. Prior to being awarded a credential, the candidate must agree to maintain his/her proficiency by participating in at least the minimum required training, exercises, and events, as defined in this document.