Do you have all of the information that you may need readily available? If the answer to that is yes, then good job! If the answer is no, keep reading. This post will be a framework for your own desk reference manual.
Many agency have desk manual, checklists, databases and references for all sorts of events and purposes. We should be no different. If you would like to compile a reference guide of handy information, I will give you some suggestions below. Do you need a desk reference? Only you can answer that question. There is not an “official” MCARES desk manual, but the backbone described below will put a lot of good material in one spot for quick and easy referencing. You’ll need a 3-ring binder with at least 2 inches of capacity and some 3-ring binder divider tabs. Now you might be asking what could possibly take up that much space?… so here’s the contents of mine in order:
- Directly inside: ICS 309 Communications logs and MCARES Net “BREAK BREAK” form
- Next up (1st divider): MCARES net script and Skywarn net script
- East TN Skywarn Net Control Operator Guiedlines
- East TN Skywarn Resource Quick Reference sheet
- MTEARS Repeater Map
- 2nd divider: ICS 217a: A list of all repeaters (2m/440) available within ~75 miles.
- 3rd: SERA 2m Frequency Utilization Plan
- 4th: SERA 440 Frequency Utilization Plan
- 5th: Handy reference sheets on Q-codes, CW, Western Union 92-codes. Add anything you like that you think is a useful reference. – remember to shy away from Q-codes on voice. Stick with plain language, especially if working with served agencies.
- 6th: ICS 214 Activity Log forms and ICS 213 General Message forms.
- 7th: More ICS 309 Communication Logs
- 8th: ARRL Tennessee Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Emergency Plan
- 9th: National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG) – this is an inch of paper!
- 10th: Amateur Radio Emergency Service Plan (ARRL)
- Dividers after that are all PDF manuals for owned radios
All of the information above is available on the web. Some is on this site and some can be found in the Files section of the groups io. It is good practice to build your own ICS 217a or at least keep yours current as repeater information changes occur.
It is up to you to decide if a desk reference is something that you need. It is up to you to make sure that your material is kept current.