/ STARRSHospital: Amateur Radio Network

SUBJECT: Testing, Activation and Database Development Policies and Procedures

RELATED

REFERENCES:Testing, Activation and Database Development Sub-Committee Charter

OFFICESAFFECTED

BY POLICY: Each committed Hospital within the Hospital Amateur Radio Network (HARN)

Effective
Date: / Revised
Date: / Reviewed
Date:

DEFINITIONS

STARRS – St. Louis Area Regional Response System

HARN - Hospital Amateur Radio Network

SMOC –St. Louis Medical Operation Center

RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTIES

  1. Testing, Activation and Database Development
  1. All amateur radio operators assigned to each participating STARRS hospital must complete a HARN application. This information will be entered into E-Sponder Database. All STARRS hospitals will have a hard copy of the amateur radio operator database available in case of E Sponder not working.
  2. Monthly tests of the amateur radio will be required at each STARRS participating hospital.
  3. A yearly full activation of the amateur radio operators assigned to each participating STARRS hospital will be utilized and the radio will be used to contact other participating STARRS hospitals.

STANDARDS/PROCEDURES

  1. Testing

1.On a monthly schedule at anytime frame designated by each STARRS hospital, members of each participating hospital the amateur radio teamwill respond to the participating STARRShospital and use the amateur radio to call another amateur radio operator using a local repeater and simplex mode make verbal voice contact with same to verify that the radio is in working condition.

2.A testing verification form will be completed and signed by the amateur radio operator that responded to the STARRS participating hospital. That form will indicate that the radio was used at that certain date and time and what repeater and or frequency they used to make the voice contact and whom did they make contact with.

3.The testing verification form will then be forward to the testing sub-committee chair person or a person deemed necessary requiring this form from HARN or STARRS.

  1. Activation

1.Each participating STARRS hospital will make an effort to involve the amateur radio team assigned to their hospital utilizing their capabilities into one exercise each year to where the activation of its amateur radio operator team is requested to respond to the hospital to use and activate the amateur radio equipment.

2.The E-Sponder Database will be used to activate the amateur radio operators under the SMOC portal using the Alert system.

3.If the Internet is down or overloaded due to the disaster, a local amateur radio repeater in each of the counties where the STARRS participating hospital is located should be used to call and activate the amateur radio operators.

4.All participating amateur radio operator teams should respond their hospital within 30-60 minutes of being call out.

  1. Database Development

1.All amateur radio operators will be required to complete a HARN application before committing to be anamateur radio operator volunteer at a HARN participating hospital.

2.All information placed in the HARN application will entered into the E-Sponder Database under the SMOC tab in the SMOC HARN (ALL) Alert section.

Approvals:

(Title): / Date:
(Title) / Date:
Date:

No. of Attachments:

(Testing, Activation and Database Development Policies and Procedures)Effective Date: 2/1/2011

Page 1 of 3Revised Date: xx/xx/xxxx