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Will Your Message Be Heard?
Disaster Communications: Two-Way Radio Procedures Part IVB
Just because you can talk does not mean anyone will listen to you.
By now you should have a good idea of who you will be communicating with, what you will be communication about and how you plan to communicate.
In this, part IVB of the disaster communications series we will review two-way radio communication procedures in four parts.
Two-Way Radio Voice Procedures
Phonetic Alphabet
Numerical Pronunciations
Prowords
What we will not discuss is the 10-Code or the Q code.
The 10 Code is a Law Enforcement radio code used to replace common phrases.
Q codes are a brief set of three-letter codes originally developed for use by ships and coastal stations. Currently, they are used by Amateur (Ham) radio operators. As you progress up the two-way radio communications ladder it will be beneficial to learn Q codes once you receive your Amateur Radio license.
Previous posts on Disaster Communications can be found here:
Part I: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-vk
Part II: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-vw
Part IIA: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-vP
Part IIIA: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-y4
Part IIIB: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-yc
Part IIIC: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-z2
Part IV: https://wp.me/p7NwNC-A1
“For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert”
-Arthur C. Clark 1917-2008
Radio voice procedures are intended to clarify the spoken word and reduce errors in the message by the use of accepted radiotelephone procedures.
The techniques presented below are used by most countries to make communications easier, and understandable.
Voice communication procedures are designed to provide the fastest and most accurate speech transmission possible.
All messages should be planned, brief and straightforward.
Ideally, messages should be written down, even brief notes reduce the risk of error.
Messages should be constructed clearly and logically in order not to confuse the recipient.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiotelephony_procedure
Two-Way Radio Voice Procedures
***NOTE***
My expertise on two-way radio communications comes from Military Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) procedures. During one phase of my military career, I functioned as an Infantry Scout Section Leader/Forward Observer. I had a keen awareness, that any message I transmitted, could adversely affect the lives of thousands of military personnel to my rear.
Notice is being given that proper two-way voice radiocommunications will follow specific procedures.
This is not optional.
If you cannot speak correctly on a two-way radio, you will not be listened to. And you may be told to get off the net so someone who does know what they are doing can communicate.
Becoming proficient with two-way radio procedures requires practice.
Basic Etiquette:
English is the international radio language.
Do not interrupt others who are communicating. Wait until the channel/frequency is clear then attempt to enter the net.
Respond only if you are certain the call is for you. If you are unsure, wait until you hear your call sign to reply.
Never transmit sensitive, confidential, financial, or tactical information.
You cannot speak and listen at the same time. Proper two-way radio communication is a turn-based process. Unlike a cell phone, both speakers cannot talk at the same time.
Well, they can, but if you are both talking, no one is listening.
Basic Radio Communication Rules
Identify Yourself:
Announce the radio callsign of the station you are calling. This alerts that station, that they are being called and that they should listen to determine who is calling.
Next, say “THIS IS”. Announce your call sign so the called station knows who is calling them. This is extremely important in cases where multiple stations may be using the net.
Use radio callsigns. Don’t use first names, last names or nicknames.
Callsigns are alphanumeric designators that identify a specific individual or group.
Amateur Radio and GMRS licensees are assigned callsigns by the FCC.
Example: W1R1 is calling K6B2.
WHISKEY WUN ROMEO ALPHA WUN this is KILO SIX BRAVO TOO over.
Speak Clearly:
Pronounce your words, speak slower, do not shout.
Mispronounced words, rapid speech tempo and shouting can cause your message to be unintelligible on the receiving end.
Keep it Simple:
Keep your message simple enough for five-year-old to understand.
Prepare the message.
If you have a message to send it’s probably important.
Write it down
Keep it Brief:
Be precise and to the point.
Remember, a two-way radio is for sending and receiving important messages and/or remarks of a personal nature. Some call that chit-chat.
Transmissions that contain obscene or indecent words or language are prohibited, but there is no list of banned words.
Security:
Do not transmit anything on a radio you do not want others to hear.
Anyone tuned into the frequency you are using can hear what you are saying.
Licensing:
Amateur Radio and GMRS bands require licensing by the FCC to operate on.
Push-To-Talk (PTT):
Two-way radios have a feature called push-to-talk (PTT).
A button on the handset or side of the radio. You need to push it down before you start speaking, and hold it down until you are done talking.
Why is this you ask?
Modern two-way-radios are known as transceivers.
The transceiver does two things.
Transmits the signal out. What you are saying.
Receives the signal in. What you are hearing.
Push and hold down the transmit button for at least a second before speaking. This will ensure the beginning of your communication will be transmitted and received.
Speaking as soon as you press the PTT can chop off the first syllable or word making your message hard to understand.
Once you’re done speaking and transferring control over to the person you are talking to with the proword “OVER”, you let go of your push to talk button so you can hear the reply.
You cannot hear anything when you are transmitting, and you cannot transmit if you do not hold the PTT button down.
Phonetic Alphabet
There are 26 codewords in the NATO phonetic alphabet. These are assigned to the 26 letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order.
“Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu”
Messages can be distorted because of background noise, poor broadcast signal or language barriers. The use of the phonetic alphabet enables critical messages to be more likely understood by spelling out complicated or confusing words.
Example: the word RADIO will be spelled out as, ROMEO, ALPHA, DELTA, INDIA, OSCAR.
See FM 24-18 chapter five “Radio Operating Techniques” for additional information on the phonetic alphabet. FM 24-18
Numerical Pronunciations
Numerical Pro Words have the same function as the phonetic alphabet. They allow strings of numbers to be transmitted without confusion.
0 – ZE RO
1 – WUN
2 – TOO
3 – TREE
4 – FOW ER
5 – FIFE
6 – SIX
7 – SEV EN
8 – AIT
9 – NIN ER
Example: the number 2381 will be spoken as, TOO, TREE, AIT, WUN.
The number 277.59 will be spoken as T00, SEV EN, SEV EN, DECIBEL, FIFE, NIN ER.
Do not use conventional speech constructs such as two thousand three hundred and eighty-one. Or two hundred and seventy-seven point five nine.
See FM 24-18 chapter five “Radio Operating Techniques” for additional information on Numerical Pronunciations. FM 24-18
Prowords
In order to keep voice communications clear and short, radio operators use procedure words (PROWORDS) in place of long sentences.
Prowords are used at points in the conversation to shorten complex sentences, identify actions to be taken and reduce the chances of errors in the message.
One of my pet peeves is the term: Over and Out. Often used at the end of a radio transmission.
There is no such Proword as Over and Out. Yes, we hear it all the time in movies and television shows. Most recently we heard the Samurai in TWD say those exact same improper words at the beginning of the show.
Don’t use ‘over and out’ because it means that you are passing control and terminating the call at the same time which is not possible.
See FM 24-18 chapter five “Radio Operating Techniques” for additional information on Prowords. FM 24-18
Summary:
There are accepted procedures that allow clear concise two-way radio communications. Failure to use them may cause your important message to be garbled, unintelligible and not listened to.
Radio communications is a turn-based event. Be patient.
The use of Pro-Words, Numerical Pronunciation and the Phonetic Alphabet allow clear communication lessening the need to repeat oneself.
Be clear, simple, brief, and secure.
Avoid passing personally identifiable information (PII) over the air.
Get your GMRS and Amateur radio licenses.
Till next time
“Be Safe”
KN4ZTW
WREE365
P.S. Tell me what you are thinking about for your disaster communication needs.