Winter 2005                                             Volume 7    Issue 1

The Huntington Beach Fire Department (HBFD) has a volunteer program called RACES, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services, who provide backup communications during disasters.  Three years ago the HBFD decided to train RACES to backup their 800 MHz system should it fail during an emergency or at any time.  It was one of the smartest things we ever did.  On September 18, 2004 our 800MHz fire radio system went down for the entire county of over 3 million people.  We placed a RACES person in the Police Dispatch where the 911 calls come in and one on each fire engine, truck, ambulance, Battalion Chief vehicle and at our Fire Training Center where units were dispatched from.  HB RACES provided emergency communications for the city for several hours.  Just 2 weeks prior HB RACES and the HBFD had an exercise.  Because of this exercise, we were prepared for this incident.  This shows how important exercises are to our communities.

RACES/HBFD Exercise 8/28/04

The HBFD receives its 911 dispatch calls from a central dispatch center called ‘MetroNet’.  MetroNet uses a sophisticated commercial digital 800 MHz. radio system to communicate to the various fire stations and apparatus throughout the City.  This 800 MHz. radio system has many safety features and backup systems to prevent a communication failure.  However, as with all electronic systems, there is NO guarantee that this vital link to our Fire Department will not completely fail.  In the event of a complete catastrophic communications failure there would be no way for Huntington Beach Fire Department to receive 911 calls, or even communicate amongst themselves.  Huntington Beach RACES, via amateur radio, eliminates this risk and ensures that our Fire Department first responders will always have communications.

Huntington Beach RACES uses amateur radio equipment that is independent and immune from the failures of the commercial 800 MHz. system. 

In the event of a communications failure, a RACES communicator is placed on every fire apparatus in the City.  Radio stations are set-up in every fire station.  RACES communicators are stationed at the Huntington Beach Police 911 Dispatch Center which is the point of intercept.  The Fire Operations Center (FOC) dispatch area has a permanently installed RACES amateur radio station and is staffed by RACES and Huntington Beach Fire Department personnel.  The RACES Rapid Response Communications Vehicle also acts as a mobile dispatch center.  911 calls from HBPD are sent to the FOC via RACES amateur radio.  Huntington Beach Fire Department personnel at the FOC decide what apparatus to assign to the call.  The RACES Net Control Operator then dispatches the units via amateur (ham) radio.  A magnetic tracking board is used to monitor the status of all Fire Department resources in the City.  Routine Fire communications are passed from the RACES operators on the units in the field back and forth to the FOC.

This system is real, and has been tested annually for the last three years.  RACES has not had a communication failure and the Fire Department call dispatch times have been equal to or better than those from MetroNet.  Thank you Huntington Beach RACES for supporting the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

Together, we will survive The BIG One!

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