Radio Communication guidelines for Narragansett Bay Marine Task Force

1. COMMUNICATIONS GUIDELINES
OVERVIEW
NARRAGANSETT BAY
MARINE TASK FORCE

3. Purpose: To establish a set of standard
operating guidelines for radio
communications.
Overview: Marine incidents often involve
assets from multiple fire departments as
well as other agencies.
PURPOSE & OVERVIEW
• Interoperability is dependent upon an
efficient flow of information between these
groups.

4. Primary communications will normally be
conducted on the statewide 800MHz radio system
(RISCON) in conjunction with the marine radio.
Protocols for the two vary significantly; both are
addressed in these guidelines.
COMMUNICATIONS AND PROTOCOLS

6. Marine Radio
Protocol

7. HAILING ANOTHER STATION
• Say who you are calling, three (3) times
• Say who you are
• Say the channel you are transmitting on
• Say “over” and wait for a response
Example: “Bristol Marine One, Bristol Marine
One, Bristol Marine One, this is Barrington
Marine Two on channel One Six, over.”

8. ANSWERING ANOTHER STATION
• Say the name of the station calling
• Say who you are (ex. Newport Marine 1)
• Say “over” and wait for a response
Example: Barrington Marine Two, this is
Bristol Marine One, over.”

9. CHANNEL 16 & 21 A
• Channel 16:
• International hailing and distress frequency
• Monitored by the Coast Guard and most vessels
with marine radios
• It should always be monitored by NVMTF vessels.
• Once contact has been established, switch traffic
to another frequency
• Channel 21A: Coast Guard Working Channel
• When your boat is underway, call Coast Guard
Station Castle Hill on Channel 21A and notify them:
• You are underway
• Your destination
• The Nature of the Call
• Your estimated time of arrival

10. CHANNEL 1 A & 13
• Channel 1A:
• Is a good working channel by which
to communicate between boats that
are operating at an incident.
• Channel 13:
• Should be monitored when operating
in and around shipping lanes.

12. 800MHz Radio Protocol.

13. 800MHz Protocols
Protocols are similar to the radio protocols of most local fire
department.
Hailing another station:
• Say who you are
• Say who yo are calling
• Say the channel that you are transmitting on
When Answering:
• Say who you are
Example:North Kingstown Marine One to East Greenwich
Marine One on Wide Area Five.”
“This is East Greenwich Marine One.”

14. Wide Area 5 (WA-5): primary working
channel for the NBMTF
• Wide Area 6: is the alternate working
channel for the NBMTF.
• If a 2nd incident is occurring on the
bay, the 1st incident shall change to
Wide Area 6, and allow the 2nd
incident to work on WA-5
• Reason: The 2nd response automatically
turns to WA-5.
WORKING CHANNEL (Talk Group)

16. Metro Control

17. Metro Control is the dispatch center for
all NBMTF incidents.
• Normally managed by Cranston Fire
Alarm
• Providence and Warwick are the
alternates

18. METRO CONTROL
For ALL NBMTF incidents, Metro Control
will contact C. G. Station Castle Hill and
provide:
• The location and nature of the
incident
• The incident working channel
• The name and location of the
command post
• The vessels that are responding.

19. METRO CONTROL
For ALL NBMTF incidents, Metro
Control will contact C. G. Station
Castle Hill and provide:
• The location and nature of the
incident
• The incident working channel
• The name and location of the
command post
• The vessels that are responding.

20. When underway, call Metro Control and tell
them:
• That you are underway
• Your destination
• The nature of the call
BOAT UNDERWAY

21. METRO CONTROL will acknowledge, and
provide:
• The incidents working channel
• The name and location of the
command post (if established)
• Advise if the Coast Guard is monitoring
the incident working channel
METRO ACKNOWLEDGEMNET

22. If you are the first boat to arrive on
scene, call Metro Control and:
• Tell them that you are on scene.
• Give a size up.
• Establish command.

23. Metro Control will monitor all
NBMTF incidents and repeat
import transmissions.

25. National Incident
Management System
(NIMS)

26. All NBMTF incidents will comply
with NIMS guidelines to insure
interoperability with the NBMST fire
departments and other emergency
agencies.
NIMS

27. The first vessel to arrive on scene will
establish command and call Metro Control
with the name and location of the command
post.
• Once command has been established, all
communications will be directed to the Incident
Commander.
• At prolonged incidents, it is preferable to have
the local NBMTF fire department assume
command at a land based command post.
ESTABLISH COMMAND

28. The IC may create a subdivision called
Marine Operations; communications
from the NBMTF boats will then be
directed to Marine Operations.
MARINE OPERATIONS

29. At the conclusion of an
incident, terminate
command!

31. General Considerations

32. • One member of each boat crew
should be assigned the task of
handling radio communications.
• The incident commander should
request that C.G. Station Castle Hill
broadcast a “securite” announcement
for the search area.
General Considerations

33. • When hailing other vessels, be specific.
• “Marine One” = nonspecific
• “Newport Marine One” = specific
• Straight talk should be used, avoid the
use of acronyms and abbreviations.
• The use of cell phones can isolate
important information from the rest of the
group.
General Considerations

34. Water Rescue training:
• Notify Metro Control on Wide Area
5 and C.G. Station Castle Hill on
21A
• Inform them that you are training
and the area in which you will be
operating.
TRAINING

35. For an incident that Metro Control may not
have knowledge of; tell them the nature of
the incident, it’s geographical location and
marine district.
Example: “North Kingston Marine One to Metro
Control, a passing boater has just notified us that
two boats have collided near Fox Island which is
in marine district E2, we are underway to that
location, North Kingstown Marine One.”

36. SAMPLE RADIO
TRANSMISSIONS

37. BOAT UNDERWAY
“Middletown Marine One to Metro Control on Wide Area 5.”
Metro Control responds: “This is Metro Control, go ahead
with your message Middletown Marine One.”
“Middletown Marine One is underway to the center span of
the Newport Bridge for a boat on fire, Middletown Marine
One.”
Metro Control responds: “Metro Control received,
Middletown Marine One is underway.”
SAMPLE TRANSMISSION

38. “Coast Guard Station Castle Hill, Station Castle
Hill, Station Castle Hill, this is Middletown Marine
One on channel Two One Alpha, over.”
Station Castle Hill responds: “Middletown Marine
One, this is Station Castle Hill, over.”
“Station Castle Hill, Middletown Marine One is
underway to the center span of the Newport
Bridge for a boat on fire, our ETA is 2230 hours,
our working channel for this incident is Wide Area
Five, over.”

39. Station Castle Hill responds: “Middletown
Marine One, Station Castle Hill, roger, good
copy, we will be monitoring Wide Area Five,
over.”
“Station Castle Hill, Middletown Marine
One, roger, we are standing by on channel
One Six, out.”

40. 1ST BOAT ARRIVING ON-SCENE:
“Middletown Marine One to Metro Control.”
Metro Control Responds: “Metro Control, go ahead
Middletown Marine One.”
“Middletown Marine One is on scene with a forty foot sail boat,
one quarter mile south of the Newport Bridge, there is heavy
smoke venting from the cabin windows, we are establishing East
Passage Command, Middletown Marine One.”
SAMPLE TRANSMISSION

41. Metro Control Responds:
“Metro control received, Middletown
Marine One is on scene one quarter
mile south of the Newport Bridge, they
have a forty foot sailboat with heavy
smoke coming from the cabin, they
have established East Passage
Command, Metro Control.”

42. Terminating Command:
“East Passage Command to Metro Control, the
fire is out all apparatus are back in service,
terminate East Passage Command.”
SAMPLE TRANSMISSION