SHARES RADIO

FEMA SHARES

September 11, 2001. Almost all of us remember where we were when we heard the news of the terrorist attacks on the United States. What you might not know is that a relatively obscure government department, called “SHARES,” immediately sprang into action. As with every natural or man made disaster, the government is concerned that landline or cellular communications might fail or be damaged in such an event. SHARES’ mission is to serve as a backup to the landline and wireless networks. Operating on HF, it members are capable of handling and passing traffic relating to critical national security and emergency preparedness matters. In response to September 11, SHARES quickly established HF circuits in Washington, D.C., and New York City. 

Three hundred forty-two SHARES stations from 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands participated. So how did SHARES come into being? In the aftermath of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy wanted to improve the communications systems that link the federal agencies. The goal was to provide better interconnectivity, and also survivability, of the system in the event of war and natural or man made disasters. He signed an executive order creating the National Communications System (NCS). The NCS reported directly to the Executive Branch and were charged with seeing that the Kennedy’s goals were accomplished. In furtherance of the goals of improving communications and survivability, SHARES was created. Using the HF radio resources of member stations, they provide an additional means for users with a national security and emergency preparedness mission to communicate. 

SHARES Origins 

On September 20, 1988, NCS created the SHAred RESources (SHARES) High Frequency (HF) Radio program. This program was tasked with backing up the landline, and later cellular, telephone systems. Membership and participation in SHARES was voluntary, with each Executive Branch agency deciding whether to participate. Participants used the HF radio resources of member agencies to provide an additional means for users with a national security and emergency preparedness mission to communicate. The NCS operated independently as an executive branch entity for almost forty years. However in 2003, the NCS along with more than 20 other federal agencies were merged into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SHARES is currently administered by the National Coordinating Center for Communications (NCC) part of DHS. 

SHARES participated in two types of operations: emergency operations and special operations. An emergency operation supports situations that occur without warning. Earthquakes and terrorist attacks, major power outages and the crash of the Space Shuttle Columbia all are examples of emergency operations supported by SHARES. Special operations, support situations that have advance warning such as hurricanes, as well as activities that might be a high value target for terrorist activities such as the Super bowl, presidential inaugurations and the State of the Union Address. 

SHARES Operational Status

Levels Do you remember DHS’s original color-coded threat advisory system? I never could remember which color represented what threat level. However, SHARES boiled its operational status down to three easy to understand levels. During Level 3, conditions are normal and no emergency exists. SHARES frequencies may be used for normal, non-emergency traffic. When a potential emergency exists, the status level goes to Level 2. Non-emergency operations immediately cease. The national and regional nets are activated and stations that are available report their status to the net control station. Level 1 is declared when an actual emergency exists. SHARES national and regional nets receive member station availability reports. list SHARES message traffic, and coordinate the processing of SHARES messages. Current SHARES participants include the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health, and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Other governmental entities include the Federal Communications Commission, General Services Administration, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Non-governmental organizations include entities such as the American Red Cross. Critical telecommunications infrastructure companies such as AT&T, CenturyLink, Cincinnati Bell and Verizon, for example, also participate in shares. 

Understanding SHARES-Speak 

Here is a short program guide to help you identify to whom you are listening. Regular USAF MARS members use callsign with prefixes with "AFA", National staff, Region and State staff MARS members using prefixes "AFD", "AFE", “AFR” or “AFS.” USAF MARS stations assigned to an Air Force Bases use the prefix "AGA". Most of the US ARMY MARS stations that frequent the SHARES Net use the call use callsign prefixes "AAA", "AAM", "AAR", or "AAT" United States Coast Guard Auxiliary stations use six character call signs beginning with the letters “NF” or “NM.” 

Prior to the dissolution of the US Navy’s MARS program, DHS NCC volunteer auxiliary stations used a six character call sign, beginning with the letters NCS followed by a three-digit number. It is presumed that NCS was chosen because it is the abbreviation for NCC’s National Communications System. After the dissolution of Navy MARS, the call signs formerly assigned to them became available for other agencies to use. It is presumed, although not officially confirmed that part of the former Navy call sign block “NNA0AA through NNZ9ZZ” may now also be assigned to some of the NCC auxiliary stations.

To participate in the SHARES Network you must be sponsored by a member agency and approved by the SHARES Project office. There are several thousand  registered stations. Of that total, 183 were U.S. military and Coast Guard facilities. Civilian US Government agencies accounted for 1094 stations. Volunteer members of MARS, NCC Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary accounted for 809 stations, and the remaining 106 stations included critical infrastructure facilities of the communications industry and other stations. 

In Fiscal year 2018 on average, 58 stations check into the SHARES National Coordination net each Wednesday. Data which they provided shows that the volunteer members of the DHS’s NCC auxiliary account for 39 percent of the station that have participated, followed by volunteer members of the Army and Air Force MARS who made up 32 percent of the weekly check ins. The volunteer members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol accounted on average for 2 percent of the check ins and US Government agencies and critical telecommunications infrastructure facilities made up the balance of the check ins. The average of 58 stations is just that, an average. 

With many volunteers (MARS, NCC Auxiliary, CAP, US Coast Guard Auxiliary) supporting SHARES, I raised the question with DHS about their purpose and value. Volunteers in the SHARES program performed important roles including: serve are net control station or regional coordinators; provide training or technical support, lead or support various working groups. In other instances, volunteers act as relay stations or provide communications support for disaster responders. In looking at the history of SHARES, their use of a large number of volunteers has worked to our country's benefit. It's clear that SHARES values its volunteer participants. 

On the “What have you done for me lately” front, SHARES sent ten volunteers to Puerto Rico to provide emergency HF communications following Hurricane Maria. Of the ten SHARES members, two were federal government employees and eight were unpaid volunteers. All ten were licensed amateur radio operators. They worked in two-person teams providing amateur radio and federal government HF communications from the FEMA Joint Field Office and four branch offices.  

SHARES is an abbreviation for SHAred RESources, and is a radio communications program that is conducted on HF under the administration of the Department of Homeland Security, National Coordinating Center for Communications (NCC). A large number of the participants in the SHARES program are members of Army MARS, Air Force MARS, or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Operations occur on frequencies administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and on the 60m Amateur Radio band. SHARES activation may occur by any member agency.

Facilities with a SHARES authorization are able to participate directly in SHARES exercises and emergency activities. Participants in the SHARES program, who also have an Amateur Radio license, can also act as a relay station between ARES Amateur Radio NETs and SHARES NETs.

If you are interested in participating in the SHARES program, the following options are available to you:

• Join the ARMY MARS program, and submit a SHARES Form 1 through the ARMY MARS program administration. Visit http://usamars.us for more information on how to join the ARMY MARS program.

• Join the AIR FORCE MARS program, and submit a SHARES Form 1 through the AIR FORCE MARS program administration... 

• Obtain an authorization through your state or local civil authority, or a Non-Government Organization (NGO) critical infrastructure partner.

• Any Federal agency under Title 10 or Title 32.

SHARES authorizations are obtained by submitting a SHARES Form 1 (do not enter your Amateur call sign on the form as leaving the call sign blank will result in SHARES assigning an appropriate call sign). Have the form signed by the appropriate official in the agency that you serve. Once accepted into the SHARES program, the SHARES program office will provide additional information on how to participate.

SHARES COORDINATION NETWORK OPERATIONAL LEVELS

SCN3 - CONDITION NORMAL, NO EMERGENCY EXISTS

SCN2 - EMERGENCY POTENTIAL EXISTS - RADIO WATCH

SCN1 - EMERGENCY EXISTS - SHARES NETS ACTIVE

SCNX - EXERCISE

SCNT - ALERT TESTING

For more information on the SHARES program, click here. 

FEMA SHARES Communications
FEMA SHARES has adopted the United States Coast Guard Radiotelephone Handbook (i.e. CGTTP 6-01.1B) as its reference document for communications procedures. Because Amateur Radio operators can interoperate with SHARES stations on the 60-Meter band, the CGTTP 6-01.1B Radiotelephone Handbook should be an valuable resource for ARES Amateur Radio operators. When interoperating with FEMA stations adherence to the procedures, and use of procedural words (prowords), that are contained within the CGTTP 6-01.1B will result in more efficient communications operations. Click here to download CGTTP 6-01.1B.
(see note 4 below)

Z-CODES
FEMA and DHS SHARES use Z-Codes in their digital communications. An easy reference list of Z-CODES is available by clicking HERE. A more comprehensive source of Z-Codes is contained within ACP131F09 Operating (Z and Q) Signals.