Without support from Contra Costa County or city Offices of Emergency Services, committed residents have built ham and GMRS EmComm networks in West Contra Costa (WCC).
West Contra Costa Emergency Group (WCCERG), an informal collective, operates the 1st Wednesday @ 1100, a wide area net (WAN). Several other GMRS networks exist in the Bay Area but are far less comprehensive. For example, WCCERG focuses on and trains interoperability between ham and GMRS systems. The 1st Wednesday hour-long exercise connects WCC neighborhoods for mutual support and trains participants in equipment usage, radio protocol, and messange for Rapid Damage Assessment.
On 12/5/2018 when the Richmond CWS sirens sounded, Jay Fenton, Karen Fenton, and Edward Carney launched the GMRS 1st Wednesday @1100 exercise to connect Marina Bay with East Richmond Heights and other Richmond neighborhoods. Testing was later expanded to include El Cerrito and other WCC neighborhoods. Field locations were mapped to simulate disaster scenarios, relying upon simplex channels with relays or on borrowed GMRS repeaters. Ham repeater net practice was added later to challenge those GMRS participants who were also licensed ham amateurs. Due to signal blockage by WCC’s hilly terrain, ham-GMRS hubs with high-gain antennas were strategically placed.
WCCERG and 1st Wednesday @ 1100 have assisted in establishing or stimulating EmComm developmentin the following local neighborhoods:
Marina Bay HOAs - Bayfront, Breakers, MB Condos, Shores
Richmond Annex
East Richmond Heights /East Richmond
WECOM
Brickyard Landing
North & East Richmond
94803 – Carriage Hills/Castro Hts, Greenbriar, Hilltop Green, May Valley
Kensington – Ken 6, Ken 3, Ken 4
El Cerrito CERT (Del Norte)
Point Richmond
Albany CERT
More WAN practice is needed to connect WCC neighborhoods. 1st Wed @1100 has not reached into Hercules, Pinole, or San Pablo. Much of Richmond and El Sobrante still need development.
Neighborhood operators are urged to help grow the following WAN nets:
94803 GMRS 1st Saturday @1000 on Ch.16
Del Norte 1st Wednesday @1900 on Ch.15
North & East Richmond 1st Monday @ 1930 exercise.
4Cs' three repeaters (WA6KQB) are tested every Saturday morning, beginning with 145.110 MHz. at 0900, followed by 444.275MHz at 0915 and 224.300 at 0930 (all three have PL 82.5).
Please review the “Lessons from the Geese”, a set of ideas originally created as a guide for educational faculty development. Surprisingly, it also makes a suitable guide for WCCERG.
Here is the recording of the transmissions from the 1st Wednesday @ 1100 EmComm exercise on 11/5/2025.
Karen Fenton, the linchpin of the 1st Wednesday @1100 EmComm exercises, retired from her efforts on 12/3/2025, we hope that others will step forward with fresh ideas and energy for this important community effort.
After 7 years, Karen Fenton [KK6ZPM/WRAP287] will retire as the linchpin and organizer of the 1st Wednesday @ 1100 West Contra Costa EmComm Net after 3 December 2025. If others want to take over this challenging exercise, please contact her to plan a smooth transition. Otherwise, this 1st Wednesday @ 1100 exercise will end after 3 December 2025 and the data compiled since December 2018 will be archived. The WCCERG website will remain open for at least a few months. EmComm operators are urged to join the 94803 GMRS Ch.16 net on 1st Saturday and other EmComm nets endorsed by West Contra Costa Emergency Radio Group (WCCERG).
Note: Check-in is on Channel 15, with alternate Channel 19.
In Part A, at 1100, after the Richmond CWS sirens sound, all GMRS and FRS operators will check in with net control on GMRS Ch.15 simplex, 462.550 MHz. [The NCS may substitute alternate Ch.19 simplex, 462.650 MHz, if Ch.15 encounters severe outside interference. If you do not hear the net on either channel, search nearby GMRS simplex channels.]
[Please transcribe what you hear & submit your signal report to karenleongfenton@gmail.com]
*Note: This is merely a WCCC area-wide training exercise. In an actual disaster, radio operators should follow their governing OES directives and use their designated frequencies.
A GMRS Open Mic session will be held on 3 December 2025. All operators are invited to contribute brief thoughts on how to advance GMRS training practice in 2026.
The WA6KQB three repeaters are tested every Saturday morning, starting with 2m [145.110 MHz) @ 0900, followed by 70cm [444.275MHz] @ 0915 and 1.25m [224.300 MHz] @ 0930; all three repeaters use PL 82.5.
West Contra Costa (WCC) is a collective of five cities plus county neighborhoods that will have to stand together with mutual aid should a major earthquake, wildfire spread, chemical spill or other major calamity occur. Each jurisdiction should set up its own Emergency Operation Center (EOC), or equivalent, and ask the Contra Costa County (CCC) EOC in Martinez for additional assistance, should they be overwhelmed by conditions. But WCC presently lacks direct contact with the CCC-EOC, should normal communication systems fail. First responders in CCC use county East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) radios only. Call centers usually have been backed up by Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers.
The 2025 BEACON exercise of the CCC-EOC on May 1 revealed that no ham radio room exists in the new Martinez building. ARES volunteers had to set up a mobile ham station to run the May 1 test. Additionally, WCC operators relied upon the W6CX repeater system on top of Mount Diablo to contact the CCC-EOC in Martinez.
WCC cities also have limited or nonexistent message handling teams. Neighborhood Emergency Communication for mutual aid would work faster than waiting for government rescue. Even more reason to practice neighborhood EmComm regularly.
It's obvious that at least two operators are required to communicate on 2-way radios. Not so obvious is that trained radio teams are critical at neighborhood communication hubs, incident command posts, and temporary evacuation sites. Also less obvious is the importance of tall high gain antennas, stationary or portable, at these sites. Antenna height is more important than the radio power setting. Every time an antenna height doubles, its range increases by 50%
1st Wednesday@ 11:00 in 2024 will continue rotation through Net Control neighborhood teams practicing with tall high-gain antennas. This series was launched on November 1 by the Richmond Annex team at the Huntington Senior Center. On December 6, Bayfront Neighbors in Marina Bay hosted the Net Control Station.
January 3 will produce two firsts:
The Ken 6 team will lead as Net Control from the hils of Kensington. Using a Diamond X330A antenna at 26’ above grade, the Ken 6 ABC team will be located at Lat-Long 37.9047, -122.2813.
Brickyard Landing in Pt. Richmond will test its new Diamond X300A antenna mounted on a 25' mast.
Here is the (tentative) 2024 schedule for Net Control:
3 Jan: Ken 6
7 Feb: Breakers Neighbors
6 Mar: [Brickyard Landing]
3 Apr: [Shores Neighbors]
1 May: [Marina Bay Condos Neighbors]
N.B. Fenton support is available to assist any neighborhood team. Jay can help set up and pre-test your radio - antenna rig in advance. We offer loaner portable radio + antenna, when needed. Jay can substitute as either a GMRS or ham Net Control if your team lacks a Part A or Part C Net Control. During each exercise, Karen can serve as Assistant Net Control from the Fenton garage in Marina Bay.
Contact karenleongfenton@gmail.com to volunteer your team for a 1st Wednesday @11:00 – noon event.
The important takeaway from both these versions is that, for 1- and 5-Watt handheld radio power settings, the biggest proportional improvement in transmission distance per foot of height is achieved in the first 30-35 feet. When the antenna is raised from 15 to 50 feet, the potential transmission distance doubles. The next doubling (from 10 to 20 miles for 5 Watt and 8 to 17 miles for 1 Watt) takes an addional 250 feet of height.
Update to 1st Wednesday EmComm Information
December 2024
Our 1st Wednesday @ 1100 testing has demonstrated that using a dedicated GMRS repeater won't work well for several reasons:
a. Too many competing GMRS repeaters in the Bay Area already exist that create traffic interference & confusion, especially when other nets actively operate or during emergency response.
b. Even GMRS simplex, which can use only 15 available channels, suffers from competition from other traffic. Simplex is OK to use by local West Contra Costa (WCC) neighborhood nets but requires that a protocol be developed to handle interference. 1st Wednesday @ 1100, as a wide area net (WAN), tests Channels 15-22 at 5-50 Watts. We recommend that local area nets (LAN) use Channels 1-7 at 5 Watts, or Channels 8‑14 sat 0.5 Watts, to avoid interference from GMRS repeaters.
c. The hilly terrain in WCC blocks the ability of some neighborhoods to communicate with others. It is better to use simplex relay techniques to overcome obstacles rather than investing in a costly GMRS repeater system.
d. WCC is geographical area extends too far north-south for widespread GMRS simplex coverage, even when tall high‑gain antennas are strategically located. FCC restricts GMRS to a maximum of 50 Watts transmission. Ham simplex coverage does not have this 50-Watt restriction.
e. Two WCC ridges—Wildcat Canyon Ridge and Sobrante Ridge—block most simplex transmissions between the 94803 ZIP code and the southwest Richmond area. No GMRS repeater location has been found that enables communication with that 94803 area. Here's a link to a recording of our EmComm from 4 September 2024. During this session, Jay Fenton was able to contact Marina Bay from Hilltop Green in the 94803 ZIP Code area.
f. Even if investment in one or more GMRS repeater systems were made, direct communication is not permitted with the EOC. RACES and ARES uses only the amateur radio (ham) frequencies, not GMRS. Thus, WCCERG would better develop a ham-GMRS interface to communicate within and between neighborhoods and with the EOC. (See diagram here.)
Script Templates for Net Control
Our 1st Wednesday @ 1100 testing has demonstrated that using a dedicated GMRS repeater won't work well for several reasons:
a. Too many competing GMRS repeaters in the Bay Area already exist that create traffic interference & confusion, especially when other nets actively operate or during emergency response.
b. Even GMRS simplex, which can use only 15 available channels, suffers from competition from other traffic. Simplex is OK to use by local West Contra Costa (WCC) neighborhood nets but requires that a protocol be developed to handle interference. 1st Wednesday @ 1100, as a wide area net (WAN), tests Channels 15-22 at 5-50 Watts. We recommend that local area nets (LAN) use Channels 1-7 at 5 Watts, or Channels 8‑14 sat 0.5 Watts, to avoid interference from GMRS repeaters.
c. The hilly terrain in WCC blocks the ability of some neighborhoods to communicate with others. It is better to use simplex relay techniques to overcome obstacles rather than investing in a costly GMRS repeater system.
d. WCC is geographical area extends too far north-south for widespread GMRS simplex coverage, even when tall high‑gain antennas are strategically located. FCC restricts GMRS to a maximum of 50 Watts transmission. Ham simplex coverage does not have this 50-Watt restriction.
e. Two WCC ridges—Wildcat Canyon Ridge and Sobrante Ridge—block most simplex transmissions between the 94803 ZIP code and the southwest Richmond area. No GMRS repeater location has been found that enables communication with that 94803 area. Here's a link to a recording of our EmComm from 4 September 2024. During this session, Jay Fenton was able to contact Marina Bay from Hilltop Green in the 94803 ZIP Code area.
f. Even if investment in one or more GMRS repeater systems were made, direct communication is not permitted with the EOC. RACES and ARES uses only the amateur radio (ham) frequencies, not GMRS. Thus, WCCERG would better develop a ham-GMRS interface to communicate within and between neighborhoods and with the EOC. (See diagram here.)
Script Templates for Net Control
Takeaways
7 takeaways from the 2025 BEACON drill on May 1:
San Ramon Valley CERT monitored the ham drill with GMRS radios.
Richmond CERT had the busiest CCC team at BEACON.
Richmond Comm Center handled 20+ CERT messages on 147.450 MHz.
RCC contacted the “CCC EOC” via the Mt. Diablo W6CX repeater.
The WA6KQB 145.110 repeater could not make contact with the CCC EOC.
Without a usable radio room, CCC EOC relied upon Mount Diablo Radio Club's assistance.
A recording of the BEACON drill as observed in Marina Bay is available here on the website.
The 2025 BEACON drill demonstrated that West County cannot rely upon Contra Costa County for EmComm when the power grids, cell towers and internet outages occur. Richmond ham operators were able to respond within 48 hours for a call to drill, successfully testing radio contact with the Richmond Communication Center.
Although WA6KQB works well reaching all West County and across the bay, a partial test of the WA6KQB repeater system found it was unable to contact the county seat in Martinez.The two main central county repeater systems – WA6HAM and W6CX - are reachable from the Richmond civic center. W6CX on Mt. Diablo was drafted for the primary net in the CCC BEACON exercise.
Because the CCC EOC in Martinez lacks an operational radio room, members of MDARC, club owner of W6CX, set up a temporary simulated EOC station on the balcony of the radio room for the exercise. No explanation or timeline has been stated when the EOC radio room will be activated.
West County residents have organized and practiced for years to be more self-sufficient and for mutual aid. BEACON demonstrated that we must continue to practice.
On May 1, less than 3 days after receiving permission to join the 2025 BEACON Exercise, a team of volunteers helped test ham communication between the Richmond Communication Center (RCC) and a simulated County Emergency Operation Center in Martinez. Net Control David Swanson KJ6AAT, assisted by Diane Richwine KK6RED at the RCC, handled over 20 field messages called in by 8 operators on 147.450 simplex. David re-transmitted a few messages via the W6CX repeater to Martinez.
Individuals can listen here to the Contra Costa County 2025 BEACON exercise as recorded in Marina Bay. Some interesting snippets can be heard on the recording:
The exercise began on the WA6HAM repeater, with some confusion when instructed to change to the WA6CX repeater.
San Ramon Valley CERT non-hams monitored in GMRS - VFO mode.
Chris Harwood AA6AT in Richmond was assigned to oversee HF and Winlink communication.
Net Control K6ZA started the W6CX BEACON drill. [after 27 recorded min.]
Richmond RCC drill started [after 46 recorded min.]
Complications were created by dual receive/watch and Echolink settings.
Thanks to the 2025 BEACON for validating the importance of West Contra Costa ham and GMRS net training.
The full description of the exercise can be found here.