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What
are these local "Q Codes" I hear?
Why don't you just say - "I don't
see any smoke or fire...?"
We use our local Q Codes "QW_"
series for the
MONITORING portion of the smoke reporting
program (seeking 24/7 monitoring). The Q Codes avoid long
winded explanations, and provide defined brevity (See Format Mike
7).
For example, the Q Code "QWA" involves
specific defined steps a station takes before
transmitting. It also avoids the use of the trigger words
"smoke" or "fire".
Consider
this Q Code report:
"K6PDS, QWO viewing East 3 miles, light, QWA, out".
It
is clear and understandable even when you are not next to
your radio, or when the radio reception is not real clear. Under
our procedures, merely giving your call sign means you are
reporting from your home QTH. Yes, you need to look up
the meaning of the Q Code (format Mike 7). But only a few are
routinely used.
Compare
the above Q Code report to this non defined report:
"... hey Joe, I
am looking around and I don't see
any smoke or fire but looks like its a little smoky to the east
of me".
If
you look at the Q Code report, that message is very specific.
A few words communicate a lot of information.
In
contrast, the non defined report, doesn't advise whether the
person is mobile, or at home. It doesn't tell you what steps
the station took to make the report. It doesn't tell you
whether the station has classified the "little
smoky" as general atmospheric smoke / haze, or as smoke
from a fire, etc... . You probably
would have to go to the radio and ask.
One
of the purposes of the monitoring plan is to have people
"listening", and to avoid having back and
forth "chatter" on the frequency plan. Such non defined
"chatter" will result in operators turning off their
radios.
If there
is an actual fire event, we use plain English in our smoke net (Format Tango 4).
The Reporting Nets are structured, brief and
factual. Mapping and triangulation is part of the Smoke
Net.
How about joining in?
And
yes, Q Codes are proper on VHF. Under the Plan, you pick your
level of involvement.
"Those
who matter, are on frequency."
Your
family and home are important to you.
Turn
on, Tune in, and Scan the Plan.
HF NETS ARE
CONDUCTED ONLY WHEN
ACTIVATED.
INCIDENTS
 Link
for Incident Information
http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current
Cal
Fire Twitter https://twitter.com/CAL_FIRE
Northern
California Geographic Coordination Center https://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/news.php
MAP VIEWER
Map
Viewer: https://maps.co.shasta.ca.us/ShastaCountyMap/
WINDS -
DIFFERENT ALTITUDES
Winds:
You can select the altitude with the elevator slide on
lower right side. https://www.windy.com/?40.502,-121.807,9
AIR QUALITY
Wildfire Smoke Information:
https://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/drm_index/aq_index/aq_wildfire.aspx
Air
Quality
FLIGHT
TRACKER
FlightTracker
WEATHER
STATIONS
Intellicast
http://www.intellicast.com/local/weather.aspx?location=USCA1053
Whitemore
(South of Miller Mountain Rd)
Shasta
Forest Village
Wilson
Hill Rd.
Hidden
Meadows
East
of Starlight Pines
Nehemiah
Dr.
Manton
– (East by South East of Manton & South of Forward Road
on Cedar Ridge Rd.)
GENERAL
WEATHER / RED FLAG / CHAIN CONTROL
REFERENCE
MATERAL
Reference Material
004 -Tactical CAllsigns and Procedures Tactical
Callsigns and Procedures
Reference Material 005- Q Codes
Q
Codes
 Reference Material 006 - Common Abbrev. CW
Work Abbrev.
CW Work
 Lat
/ Long Plotting
points on maps using Latitude and Longitude
GPS
Coordinates: http://www.gps-coordinates.net
Spotting
Fire Behavior: http://www.fbfrg.org/crown-fire/6-1-spotting-fire-behavior
CAMERAS
Shingletown
Cam is located on the north side of HWY 44 in Shingletown
Lassen
Park Cam is located in Shasta County on the south side of
eastbound HWY 44 at the Lassen Park North Entrance
Bogard
Rest Area Cam is located in Lassen County on SR44 at the
entrance to Bogard Rest Area
This is not a once a
week "check in
net".
This is an
active community service by
local Operators [seeking 24/7 monitoring] (any licensed Ham
radio operator who can hear us) who wants to take positive
action to help locate smoke from a forest fire so that the Fire
Department can respond and put it out, before our homes are burned to the
ground. Many operators can form the basis of a Radio
Network to
triangulate on potential sources of fire / smoke. Mountains,
shifting winds, ridges and valleys make
it hard to locate a fire (especially at night). Each person may
not be able to monitor 24/7, but with a group, and each person
making a bona fide attempt, it can be done. We need many
Radio Operators to make this work. Please join in.
Just
turn on your radio and leave it on.
Help stop a disaster before it
happens! Be proactive, not reactive.
You
don't have to say anything. Just have your radios on and listen
scanning the plan FREQUENCIES. Then
respond when a smoke report is made, or other emergency is
heard, or observed; or if you smell smoke, you call in your
smoke report.
Obviously, we need people on the air to hear a call. That is
where you come in - you merely report your situation from your
home, or other location. This is NOT a substitute for 911.
If you have an emergency, dial 911. You can even listen on a "quiet"
frequency so you don't hear people randomly talking. Control
stations would map the results of radio smoke reports in an
effort to locate the potential source of smoke and call in the
results. Want to join in?
Call
474-3267 for information.
This
program seeks coordination with those who are monitoring their radios under the PLAN set up for local
comms.
The PLANS are here. Now, they just need to be used.
The informal group is the Shingletown Emergency Radio Net. ALL Ham operators are invited to take part - just turn on your
radio(s), and
leave it on!
That's
it.
It
is what it is. "The few who matter, are on
frequency."
73
K6PDS
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You
don't have to "join" or become a
"member". Just turn on your radio, follow the
PLAN, and help out.
PLEASE JOIN
IN.
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