County of Orange RACES

County of Orange RACES, an auxiliary communications unit of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD), is administered by OCSD's Communications & Technology Division. Members are registered as Disaster Service Workers with OCSD's Emergency Management Bureau. They are trained to provide voice, video, and data communications during emergencies, using their own equipment on County VHF and UHF repeaters and simplex frequencies. When activated, OCRACES provides emergency communications support, handles messages between incidents and the EOC, or between public-safety agencies and critical locations, and reports conditions from the field to the EOC or Command Post.

Next OCRACES Meeting: May 7th

The next County of Orange RACES meeting will be on Monday, May 7, 2012, at 7:30 PM, at 840 N. Eckhoff Street, Suite 104, in Orange. At this meeting we will discuss our preparations for the May 19th drill and for Field Day.

Next City/County RACES & MOU Drill: May 19th

The City/County RACES & MOU drill will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. The scenario will be a major earthquake, as used in the Golden Guardian exercise to be conducted at the Orange County EOC on Tuesday, May 15th, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. At least one OCRACES member will participate in Golden Guardian.

OCRACES Participates in SRRU Exercise

OCRACES van was parked next to the Incident Command Post, for easy interfacing with SRRU leaders.

County of Orange RACES participated in the OCSD Search & Rescue Reserve Unit (SRRU) mutual-aid exercise on Sunday, January 15, 2012. Members functioned as the communications dispatchers for the event, operating from the OCRACES emergency communications emergency response vehicle positioned next to the Incident Command Post. The location was east of San Juan Capistrano. The drill scenario was to search for a downed aircraft and victims in the mountain wilderness.

Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, who wrote the communications plan for the exercise and reviewed it with SRRU Capt Steve Riches, N6SOG (who headed the exercise), served as Dispatcher 1. RACES Sgt. Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, served as Dispatcher 2. Both operated on law-enforcement frequencies on UHF and 800-MHz trunked. RACES Capt. Ken Bourne, W6HK, was the communications unit supervisor, interfacing, along with Tom, with the SRRU leaders. Also assisting was John Bedford, KF6PRN. Tom's communications plan detailed personnel assignments, planned times of major events, and radio channels and their functions. He also prepared various forms such as a check-in list, clue log, incident communications team status chart, and communications log.

Other participants in the drill included the OCSD Aero Squadron Reserve Unit (ASRU), about 70 personnel from San Diego County Search & Rescue, the Civil Air Patrol, and Boy and Girl Scouts (some of whom were dressed as air-crash victims).

OCRACES Goes on Fire Patrol on January 8th

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, OCRACES Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne notified all members that the National Weather Service had declared a Red Flag Warning for the next day, Sunday, January 8th, from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM. Members were requested to notify Ken of their availability for Severe Fire Weather Patrol on Sunday, pending high winds. Beginning at about 10:00 AM, Capt. Bourne and RACES Sgt. Chuck Dolan patrolled Area 1, Kenan Relly, KR6J, and John Bedford, KF6PRN, patrolled Area 2, and Randy and Lee Anne Benicky, N6PRL and KI6VUH, patrolled Area 3. Net Control was handled first by RACES Lt. Harvey Packard, KM6BV, then by Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, and finally by Brian Turner, KI6WZS, from the EOC. Winds died down shortly after 1:00 PM, and, by 2:00 PM, the patrol was concluded.

OCRACES Van at Irvine Preparedness Expo

County of Orange RACES exhibited its emergency communications response vehicle at the Emergency Preparedness Expo in Irvine on September 17, 2011. Irvine's RACES unit (IDEC) and Laguna Beach's RACES unit (LBECT) also displayed their vehicles.

OCRACES Exhibits Van at HAMCON

OCRACES exhibited its emergency communications response vehicle at HAMCON (2011 ARRL Southwestern Division Amateur Radio Convention) on September 10, 2011. The convention was held at the Marriott Torrance South Bay.

OCRACES Activates for Power Outage

OCRACES was activated for the power outage that occurred on September 8, 2011. RACES Capt. Ken Bourne, W6HK, reported to the Orange County EOC at 1725 hours, and was relieved by Brian Lettieri, KI6VPF, at about 2100 hours. Jim Dorris, KC6RFC, who passed background and became an OCRACES member on September 7th, relieved Brian at 0100 on September 9th, and remained at the EOC until 0400, when the EOC was deactivated. Meanwhile, Wayne Barringer, KB6UJW, drove throughout South County and transmitted power-outage and traffic reports to OCRACES, which were then relayed to the EOC Command Center.

OCRACES at OC Fair Ham Radio Booth

Seven OCRACES members and applicants occupied the ham radio booth at the Orange County Fair on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, from 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM. The booth was equipped with an operational Icom IC-9100 transceiver and other radios.

RACES/MOU Units Support General Election

Members of City and County RACES units and HDSCS supported ballot-collection communications on the evening of the General Election on November 2, 2010. A communicator was at each of the 23 Collection Centers in Orange County. Communicators at the Collection Centers recorded the precinct numbers of the boxes being loaded into the vans, and transmitted those precinct numbers to Net Control when the vans departed enroute to the Vote Tally Center. Using three OCRACES repeaters enhanced communications efficiency.

OCRACES participants included Jack Barth, AB6VC, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, Ken Bourne, W6HK, Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, Nancee Graff, N6ZRB, Ray Grimes, N8RG, Walter Kroy, KC6HAM, Kenan Reilly, KR6J, John Roberts, W6JOR, and Brian Turner, KI6WZS.

City RACES units participating included Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach/Los Alamitos, Tri-Cities, and Westminster. The Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS) provided coverage in Aliso Viejo.

OCRACES Displays Van at Tabletop Exercise

John Roberts, W6JOR, Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, and Ken Bourne, W6HK (left to right), at TTX in Anaheim.

OCRACES displayed its emergency communications response vehicle at the Citizen Preparedness Tabletop Exercise (TTX) on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at The Grove of Anaheim. Participating members included Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, Radio Officer Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Assistant Radio Officer Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, and John Roberts, W6JOR. Local and Operational Area volunteers gathered at the TTX to learn about the latest initiatives and capabilities of all ASAUA/OCOA Citizen Corps programs and to advance the degree of mutual understanding to improve existing volunteer management and community preparedness capabilities.

OCRACES Displays Van at OCFA Open House

Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC (left in left photo), John Roberts, W6JOR, John Bedford, KF6PRN (left in right photo), Scott Byington, KC6MMF, and Harvey Packard, KM6BV, at OCFA Open House.

The OCRACES emergency communications response vehicle was displayed at the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Open House on Saturday, October 9, 2010. At the event were Ken Bourne, W6HK, Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, Harvey Packard, KM6BV, John Roberts, W6JOR, and Applicant John Bedford, KF6PRN. Many visitors, especially children, toured our van and learned about its many radios. Scott set up his portable Winlink station outside the van, which was observed by several radio amateurs who dropped by.

City/County RACES & MOUs Hold Oct. 2nd Drill

Left photo: OCRACES Member Kenan Reilly, KR6J (left), and Applicant John Bedford, KF6PRN, handle drill traffic at EOC RACES Room; right photo: RACES Sgt. Jim Carter, WB6HAG, at ATV/SSTV position, with Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, at HF position next to him, observe images from city RACES units.

OCRACES and most City RACES units, plus the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS) and American Red Cross—Orange County Chapter, participated in the City/County RACES & MOU Drill on Saturday, October 2, 2010. The scenario was wildland fires throughout the County.

OCRACES participants included Randy Benicky, N6PRL, Ken Bourne, W6HK, Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Jim Carter, WB6HAG, Chuck Dolan, KG6LXT, Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Kenan Reilly, KR6J, John Roberts, W6JOR, Brian Turner, KI6WZS, and Applicant John Bedford, KF6PRN. All activity was from the EOC RACES Room at Loma Ridge, or from just outside the EOC for the special simplex relay exercise (led by OCSD Emergency Communications Manager Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ) that was added to the drill. Because of new equipment recently installed in the RACES Room, but not all fully functional yet (because of programming and antenna routing to be done), not all positions were operational. Therefore, a position was not available for Tom Gaccione, WB2LRH, from HDSCS, but he was able to handle all HDSCS traffic with his HT outside the EOC building.

The ATV/SSTV portion of the exercise posed interesting challenges. This year’s participants were Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Mission Viejo, and Santa Ana. Santa Ana had only ATV receive capability and the other participants sent either ATV or SSTV video. OCRACES was Net Control with operators Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, and Jim Carter, WB6HAG, who were directing ATV/SSTV operations while receiving the video from the participants and feeding it to the OCRACES room main monitor. This exercise demonstrated if ATV operations could co-exist between cities operating at the same time, allowing OCRACES to selectively receive each city’s video using a beam, the ability to change the ATV/SSTV voice control channel in a moment’s notice, and the ability to send ATV/SSTV video to adjacent cities. The ATV and SSTV signals were acceptable (ATV P2-P4+), with Huntington Beach having the more solid ATV signal at OCRACES operations. Mission Viejo used SSTV, and they had P5 pictures after re-syncing their SSTV transmissions. Seal Beach and Huntington Beach could see each other’s video. We learned OCRACES cannot selectively select with the beam ATV transmission from cities sending ATV signals simultaneously. Huntington Beach overpowered Seal Beach. Also, changing our ATV/SSTV voice frequency caused some delays as participants reprogrammed radios. Also, the fastest means to re-sync an SSTV transmissionis for OCRACES to transmit an SSTV picture to participating stations.

RACES Wants You!

Experience the most exciting and rewarding part of amateur radio. Being a RACES member gives you the opportunity to sharpen your operating skills and technical knowledge while volunteering your services in public-safety communications. Get involved in emergency communications now. Click the Contact OCRACES link for more information.

Events Calendar

April 30: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Kenan Reilly, KR6J
Pager: Scott Byington, KC6MMF

May 5: 0900
OCRACES Digital Team Meeting, OC EOC

May 7: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: John Roberts, W6JOR
Pager: Jim Carter, WB6HAG

May 7: 1930
OCRACES Meeting
840 N. Eckhoff St., Suite 104, Orange

May 10: 1000-1200
Golden Guardian Overview Course, OC EOC

May 14: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
Pager: Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC

May 15: 0800-1600
Golden Guardian Exercise, OC EOC

May 19: 0900-1100
City/County RACES & MOU Exercise

May 21: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Joe Selikov, KB6EID
Pager: Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT

May 28: 1900
Memorial Day (no net)

June 4: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Tom Tracey, KC6FIC
Pager: Harvey Packard, KM6BV

June 4: 1930
OCRACES Meeting
840 N. Eckhoff St., Suite 104, Orange

June 9: 0900
Southwest ACS Meeting
Los Angeles County EOC

June 14: 1000-1200
EOC Responder Section Training, OC EOC

June 23-24
Field Day

June 25: 1900
City/County RACES & MOU Meeting, 840 N. Eckhoff Street, Suite 104, Orange

The County of Orange disclaims all warranties, express or implied, for any of the materials provided on this site, or any improper or incorrect use of them. The materials in this site are provided "as is,” and you are under no obligation to use them. County information and services may also be accessed by telephone, in person, or by mail. http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Disclaimer

© Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. No HTML nor original artwork may be reproduced or used without written express permission .
Webmaster: Ken Bourne, W6HK, Chief Radio Officer, County of Orange (California) RACES
Last Update: April 26, 2012