ARTICLES

How to Handle an Emergency Call

Every amateur needs to know how to handle a basic emergency call. Answer a call for help by saying something like: "Go ahead (caller's call sign or other identifier) this is  (your call) how can I help you?"

1.  KEEP CALM! The more reason there is to be excited, the more important it is for YOU to stay calm.

2.  WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN! Get all available information about the incident. To make this easier, remember the four W’s:

WHAT? Exactly what is the nature of the emergency?

WHERE? Get the exact location of the emergency including cross-streets, mile markers, major landmarks, direction of travel (for moving incidents like drunk drivers) and any other information that could help emergency workers find the location.

WHO? Who is involved in the incident (man, woman, child)? How many people? Are they injured? Is the caller still at the scene of the incident?

WHEN? How long ago did the incident occur?

Ask the caller to standby on the frequency incase more information is needed.

3. REPORT! Find out what jurisdiction the incident is in and contact the appropriate agency. Try to contact the local dispatch center using a NON-EMERGENCY number so as not to tie up an emergency line. If you do not know how to contact the local authorities and/or you believe it is a life or death emergency, call 911 and give them the information and they will either relay the report to the correct agency or they will connect you to them so you can report directly. A list of non-emergency dispatch numbers for the Louisville area is included at the end of the A.R.E.A. plan.

 Be sure to give all details EXACTLY AS WRITTEN, do not change any details.

The Four Cs

The best advice for any radio operator can be summarized by the four C’s, Calm, Courteous, Correct and Concise.

CALM,

Try to keep emotion out of your voice. No matter what the emergency. A calm, professional attitude will keep things cool.

COURTEOUS

You must think of your self as a public servant. Regardless of provocation, remain courteous at all times. NEVER display a temper on the air.

CORRECT

Try to keep errors out of your communications. Learn and use PROPER phonetic alphabet names and have the caller repeat details if needed to get the information accurately. Avoid using non-ITU phonetic names as this may confuse some operators. Write EVERYTHING down for reference, a small inexpensive tape or digital voice recorder is a good thing to keep in your home or mobile shack and can be connected inline with your speaker for best audio quality.

If you live on or near jurisdictional boundaries, get a street map and mark these boundaries to help you better determine what agency to contact.

Always remember,  it is better to admit that you don’t know then to give wrong information.

CONCISE

Keep your transmissions as brief as possible, leave a second or two between transmissions to give any other stations with emergency traffic a chance to transmit.

REGION 1

District 1: Ballard Carlisle Calloway Fulton Graves Hickman McCracken Marshall                                                                                                                             District 2: Caldwell Christian Crittenden Hopkins Livingston Lyon Muhlenberg Todd Trigg                                                                                                                   District 3: Daviess Hancock Henderson McLean Ohio Union Webster

REGION 2

 District 4: Allen Barren Butler Edmonson Hart Logan Metcalfe Monroe Simpson Warren                                                                                                                      District 5: Breckinridge Grayson Green Hardin Larue Marion Meade Nelson Taylor Washington

REGION 3

 District 6: Anderson Bullitt Franklin Henry Jefferson Oldham Shelby Spencer Trimble                                                                                                                        District 7: Boone Campbell Carroll Gallatin Grant Kenton Owen Pendelton Scott 

REGION 4

District 8: Bath Bracken Fleming Lewis Mason Menifee Montgomery Morgan Robert                                                                                                                     District 9: Boyd Carter Elliott Floyd Greenup Johnson Lawrence Magoffin Martin Pike                                                                                                                         District 10: Breathitt Harlan Knott Lee Leslie Letcher Owsley Perry Wolfe

REGION 5

District 11: Bell Clay Jackson Knox Laurel McCreary Rockcastle Whitley                                                                                                                                                   District 12: Adair Boyle Casey Clinton Cumberland Lincoln Mercer Pulaski Russell Wayne                                                                                                                     District 13: Bourbon Clark Estill Fayette Garrard Harrison Jessamine Madison Nicholas Powell Woodford