CONEJO VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
COMMUNICATIONS VAN

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

March 2001

 

 

 

*   are hypertext jumps into the document

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 MISSION *

1.1 Mission Statement *

1.2 Supported Activities *

1.3 Mission Background *

1.4 CVARC Comm Van Primary Mission *

2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE *

2.1 Compliance With CVARC By-Lays *

2.2 CVARC Operations Coordinator *

2.3 CVARC Comm Van Chairman *

2.3.1 Appointment Of A Comm Van Chairman *

2.3.2 Duties Of The Comm Van Chairman *

2.4 CVARC Comm Van Drivers *

2.5 CVARC Trustee *

3 REQUESTING USE OF THE CVARC COMM VAN *

4 OPERATIONS *

5 TRAINING *

6 MAINTENANCE *

7 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS APPROVAL *

APPENDIX A: POINTS OF CONTACT…………………………………………………………… A-1

APPENDIX B: SPECIFIC CVARC COMM VAN MISSIONS

1 RACES SUPPORT B-*

2 ARES SUPPORT B-*

2.1 Conejo Valley Civil Emergency B-*

2.2 Ventura County Civil Emergency B-*

2.3 OES or EVSS Sponsored Community Service Events B-*

2.4 Conejo Valley Community Service B-*

2.5 Ventura County Community Service B-*

3 CVARC CLUB ACTIVITEIS B-*

4 CVARC MEMBER TRAINING B-*

5 CVARC COMM VAN MAINTENANCE B-*

6 CVARC COMM VAN UPGRADING B-*

7 PERSONAL USE B-*

8 OTHER USES B-*

9 AREA OF SERVICE B-*

 

 

 

APPENDIX C: COMM VAN CHAIRMAN DUTIES

1 DUTIES OF THE COMM VAN CHAIRMAN C-*

APPENDIX D: CVARC COMM VAN OPERATIONS

1 UTILIZING THE COMM VAN FOR A MISSION D-*

1.1 Requesting Use Of The Comm Van D-*

1.2 Approving Use Of The Comm Van D-*

1.3 Notifying The EVSS Liaison Officer D-*

1.4 Pre-mission Checkout D-*

1.5 Operations Of The Comm Van During The Mission D-*

1.6 Returning The Comm Van To The EVSS D-*

1.7 Cleaning The Comm Van D-*

1.8 Post Mission Inspection D-*

1.9 Completing The Mission Report D-*

2 COMM VAN INVENTORY D-*

 

 

 

 

 

  1. MISSION

    2.  

    1. Mission Statement

      2. The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) Communications Van (Comm Van) shall be used by CVARC members, under direction of the Ventura County East Valley Sheriff Station (EVSS), to provide mobile radio communications services to Conejo Valley and Ventura County in support of community activities and during times of civil emergencies.

       

    2. Supported Activities

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used to support the following activities:

    1. Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES),
    2. Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES),
    3. Community service,
    4. CVARC club activities,
    5. CVARC member training,
    6. CVARC Comm Van maintenance,
    7. CVARC Comm Van upgrading.

 

    1. Mission Background

The van was donated to CVARC by GTE Corporation (now Verizon Corporation) for the purpose of converting it into a mobile amateur radio communications van to serve the community. A sponsor was required for the Comm Van since the cost of maintaining and operating the van was beyond the financial ability of CVARC.

The Ventura County Sheriff Department agreed to sponsor the CVARC Comm Van. As the Comm Van sponsor, the Sheriff Department agreed to register the Comm Van with the Department of Motor Vehicles each year, provide regularly scheduled vehicle maintenance on the Comm Van, provide fuel for the Comm Van, wash the exterior of the Comm Van on a periodic basis, provide a permanent parking place for the Comm Van at the East Valley Sheriff Station (EVSS), and provide administrative control over use of the Comm Van.

Title of the van was transferred to the EVSS with CVARC being designated as the lien holder on the title. At such time that EVSS is no longer able to sponsor the Comm Van, ownership of the Comm Van will return to CVARC. At that time CVARC must either find a new sponsor for the Comm Van or dispose of it.

CVARC is the operator of the Comm Van. As operator, CVARC performed the van conversion required to turn the van into an amateur radio communications van. The van conversion included all internal modifications, building the cabinetry within the van, installing the radio equipment, installing a 12 VDC power system to power the radios, installing solar panels on the roof of the van, and installing an external array of antennas. This work was performed at the expense of CVARC. CVARC is the owner of the cabinetry, the array of antennas installed on the van, the power system, the solar panels, and the radio equipment (with the exception of radios provided by the Ventura County Government to cover the frequencies used by the Sheriff Department and other government agencies).

The Ventura County Sheriff Department agreed to sponsor the CVARC Comm Van with the understanding that:

    1. The Comm Van will be available to provide communications support to the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and/or the Sheriff Department, during any civil emergencies which occur within Ventura County,
    2. The Comm Van will be available to provide communications support, under direction of the RACES Officer, in the event that the OES activates the Ventura County RACES organization during a Ventura County civil emergency,
    3. The Comm Van will be available to provide communications support to the OES or EVSS during any OES or EVSS sponsored community service event,
    4. The EVSS, or the OES, or the RACES Officer acting on behalf of the OES, will be able to activate the Comm Van for use during an emergency or community service event by contacting one of several designated CVARC members,
    5. CVARC amateur radio operators approved by the Sheriff Department will be available to drive the Comm Van to locations where it will be needed during an emergency or community service event and return the Comm Van to the EVSS following the activity,
    6. Trained CVARC amateur radio operators will be available to operate the Comm Van radio equipment during an emergency or community service event,
    7. The Comm Van will only be used by CVARC members for the types of activities specified in Appendix B,
    8. The EVSS Liaison Officer will be notified of each planned Comm Van activity prior to the beginning of that activity (note that explicit EVSS approval of each Comm Van activity is not required provided that the activity is in accordance with the EVSS approved activities specified in Appendix B).
    9. The Comm Van will only be driven by CVARC members approved by the Sheriff Department,
    10. The Comm Van will be parked at the EVSS when not in use and returned to the EVSS following the completion of an activity,
    11. The van will be locked during non-working hours when the Comm Van is located at a private residence undergoing any maintenance or upgrading activity.
    12. A logbook will be maintained in the Comm Van documenting each use of the Comm Van including, the name of the activity, the date when the activity occurred, where the activity took place, the name and call sign of the CVARC member driving the Comm Van to and from the event, the Comm Van mileage to and from the event, and any appropriate remarks.

 

    1. CVARC Comm Van Primary Mission

The primary mission of the CVARC Comm Van is to provide communications support to the Sheriff Department, or the OES, or the RACES Officer acting on behalf of the OES, during a civil emergency or community service event when that support is requested. This primary mission is in accordance with the understanding under which the Ventura County Sheriff Department agreed to sponsor the CVARC Comm Van.

All other uses of the CVARC Comm Van, including use during community events not sponsored by the OES or EVSS, CVARC club activities, CVARC Comm Van training, Comm Van maintenance, and Comm Van upgrading, shall be provided in support of the primary mission.

Training of CVARC members in proper use of the Comm Van is the most important non-emergency uses of the Comm Van. Without proper training of its members, CVARC can not fulfill its obligation to have trained amateur radio operators available to operate the Comm Van during an emergency.

The most effective training is obtained by using the Comm Van to provide communications support during community events including parades, bike races, marathon runs, etc. Communications support for community events is often provided by CVARC as a part of its ARES function. Such events require the same Comm Van operations skills that will be required during emergencies. CVARC training sessions prior to a community event provide CVARC members the opportunity to practice their operations skills in preparation for the event. CVARC training sessions following a community event provide the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the Comm Van during the event and to develop improved operating procedures based on the lessons learned.

Use of the Comm Van during community events also serves to provide a public awareness of the CVARC Comm Van and the types of communication services that it can provide to the community in both times of emergency and non-emergency. All of the preparation and training is useless if the Comm Van sits idle in the EVSS parking lot during a civil emergency because community leaders did not know that it was available to help them in time of need.

Including the Comm Van in CVARC club activities builds awareness and interest within the club of CVARC’s responsibility to the community during periods of civil emergencies. Club activities also provide an opportune time to train new CVARC members in the use of the Comm Van.

Maintenance of the Comm Van is a vital activity that CVARC members must perform, in cooperation with the EVSS, to ensure that the Comm Van is always ready and properly configured to perform its mission.

Technology is constantly changing providing new and better ways in which the Comm Van could perform its mission. CVARC has the responsibility to ensure that the Comm Van not only performs its mission, but also performs that mission in the best manner possible consistent with current technology. Performing upgrades on the Comm Van from time to time is therefore a necessary and important aspect of maintaining the Comm Van in a state of readiness.

 

 

 

  1. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

    2. The organizational structure for managing and operating the Comm Van shall be as described in the following subsections.

     

    1. Compliance With CVARC By-Lays

      2. In accordance with the CVARC By-Laws, the CVARC Operations Coordinator is responsible to the CVARC members and EVSS staff for the proper operation of the Comm Van.

       

    2. CVARC Operations Coordinator

      3. The Operations Coordinator is an elected officer and Board member of CVARC. In accordance with the CVARC By-Laws, the Operations Coordinator shall be responsible for on-the-air operations of the Club and its members – including network, bulletins, contests; and for the construction, purchase, installation and maintenance of the Club’s radio and technical equipment. The Operations Coordinator must be a CVARC member in good standing and holds office for one year from the first day of January to the last day of December.

      Specific responsibilities of the Operations Coordinator include coordinating club participation in ARES/RACES activities, coordinating the club’s involvement in the annual ARRL Field Day event, assisting CVARC members with their participation in amateur radio contesting, assisting members with general amateur radio operating practices, and responsibility for the Comm Van. The Operations Coordinator reports on the status of these activities during each monthly CVARC Board Meeting.

      The Operations Coordinator may appoint one or more chairman to assist with coordination of the various CVARC operations activities. Each chairman is responsible for a specific activity. In addition, each chairman reports to and is directed by the Operations Coordinator.

       

    3. CVARC Comm Van Chairman

      4. The CVARC Comm Van is a complex system requiring the full attention of a Comm Van Chairman.

       

      1. Appointment Of A Comm Van Chairman

        2. The CVARC Operations Coordinator shall appoint a Comm Van Chairman. The Comm Van Chairman shall direct the activities of the Comm Van in accordance with this document. The Comm Van Chairman must be a CVARC member in good standing. The Comm Van Chairman shall report to and be directed by the Operations Coordinator. The Comm Van Chairman appointment shall be for a period of one year and shall be subject to CVARC Board approval.

        The Operations Coordinator shall perform the duties of the Comm Van Chairman beginning on the first day of January (coincident with the beginning of the elected term for the Operations Coordinator) and continuing until a Comm Van Chairman has been selected and approved by the CVARC Board. The Operations Coordinator shall submit the name of a proposed Comm Van Chairman to the CVARC Board for approval during the month of January. The term of the Comm Van Chairman shall begin as soon as he/she is approved by the Board, and shall end on the last day of December.

         

      2. Duties Of The Comm Van Chairman

      The role of the Comm Van Chairman is to promote the use of the Comm Van in accordance with the missions described in this document. Specifically, the Comm Van Chairman shall schedule use of the Comm Van in respond to requests from EVSS, OES, RACES, and CVARC members. In addition the Comm Van Chairman shall assist CVARC members in planning for an event (including locating Comm Van drivers when needed); assist CVARC members in the checkout, use, and return of the Comm Van during an activity; assisting CVARC members in completing Comm Van documentation including the Comm Van logbook; ensuring that the EVSS Liaison Officer is informed of all Comm Van activities; and ensuring that the Comm Van is properly maintained and ready for service.

      The Comm Van Chairman shall maintain the current and historical Comm Van documents. At the end of his/her term, the Comm Van Chairman shall transfer the Comm Van documents to the new Comm Van Chairman, or to the New Operations Coordinator if a new Comm Van Chairman has not yet been selected.

      Appendix C describes the duties of the Comm Van Chairman in more detail.

      It is important to note that this document determines the conditions and priorities under which the Comm Van will be used. The Comm Van Chairman has no authority to determine how, when, or where the Comm Van is to be used. The Comm Van Chairman must approve all requests to use the Comm Van in accordance with the requirements specified in Appendix B. The primary job of the Comm Van Chairman is to help CVARC members use the Comm Van in accordance with the requirements of this document.

      The Comm Van Chairman may form a Comm Van Committee to assist in performing these duties. The Comm Van Chairman shall be the head of this committee. In addition, he/she is responsible for ensuring that all of the duties assigned to the Comm Van Chairman are completed whether he/she completes them directly or delegates some or all for the duties to the Comm Van Committee.

       

    4. CVARC Comm Van Drivers

      5. The CVARC Comm Van shall only be driven by CVARC members in good standing who have a current valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, and have been approved by the EVSS. Comm Van drivers shall be trained by the Comm Van Chairman in the proper operation of the CVARC Comm Van.

      Comm Van drivers shall be aware that the Comm Van must be driven in three dimensions. That is, the Comm Van drivers must be aware of obstructions in the horizontal path of the Comm Van, as with any standard vehicle, and also with vertical obstructions in the Comm Van’s path (such as tree branches and building over hangs). The awareness of vertical obstructions is a requirement because of the antenna array mounted on the roof of the Comm Van. Comm Van drivers shall also be familiar with using the vehicle’s side mirrors when backing up the Comm Van since over the shoulder and rear-view mirror visibility behind the Comm Van will generally be blocked by the Comm Van’s size, small rear windows, and equipment mounted in the back of the Comm Van.

      Ten drivers shall be designated for the Comm Van. Each Comm Van driver shall have a set of keys for driving the Comm Van. The Comm Van Chairman shall appoint Comm Van drivers subject to CVARC Board approval and approval by the EVSS. The EVSS will perform a background check on each perspective Comm Van driver prior to approving the driver or issuing keys. There shall be no set term of service for Comm Van drivers. A Comm Van driver may continue to be a driver subject to annual review by the CVARC Board and continued EVSS and CVARC Board approval. The EVSS and/or the CVARC Board may at any time remove an individual as a Comm Van driver. An individual shall return the Comm Van keys to the Comm Van Chairman when he/she no longer serves as a Comm Van driver.

       

    5. CVARC Trustee

    The CVARC Trustee is the FCC licensed holder of club call sign AA6CV. The CVARC Trustee is responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations of the FCC for the privileges awarded with the AA6CV license. The CVARC Trustee must be present in the Comm Van when the AA6CV call sign is used during operation of the Comm Van radio equipment. If the CVARC Trustee is not present, the CVARC amateur radio operators shall use their own call signs when operating the Comm Van radios. Each operator must have a copy of his/her license with them when operating the Comm Van radios. In addition, each operator may only operate the Comm Van radios in accordance with the limits of his/her license.

     

     

     

  2. REQUESTING USE OF THE CVARC COMM VAN

A request to use of the Comm Van shall be directed to:

    1. The CVARC Comm Van Chairman,
    2. The CVARC Operations Coordinator if the Comm Van Chairman is not available,
    3. Any CVARC Board member if the Comm Van Chairman and the Operations Coordinator are not available.

Each of these individuals shall have authority to authorize use of the Comm Van by CVARC members. A request for use of the Comm Van shall be approved provide that the planned activity falls within one of the Comm Van missions specified in Appendix B, and the conditions required for approval of that mission have been satisfied. Once the Comm Van has been approved for an event, no other subsequent request for the Comm Van shall have priority over the approved event, other than activation of the Comm Van for a Ventura County or Conejo Valley civil emergency. The Comm Van may be redirected from a lower priority to a higher priority civil emergency.

The person authorizing use of the Comm Van shall notify the EVSS Liaison Officer of the planned activity prior to the actual event. In the case of an emergency, the EVSS Liaison Officer shall be notified as soon as possible.

 

  1. OPERATIONS

    2. Operations of the CVARC Comm Van is detailed in Appendix D.

     

  2. TRAINING

    3. The Comm Van Chairman shall provide Comm Van driver training on an as needed basis. Normally this training will be conducted on a one to one basis between the Comm Van Chairman and a new Comm Van driver.

    Training of CVARC members on the operations of the Comm Van will normally be performed during a scheduled Comm Van event. Generally the training will be provided informally by experienced Comm Van operators during the course of the event.

    Comm Van training is an approved use of the Comm Van and may be performed at any time, subject to the constraints in Appendix B, that there are a sufficient number of CVARC members available to participate in a Comm Van training activity.

     

  3. MAINTENANCE

    4. Comm Van vehicle maintenance shall be performed quarterly (every 3 months) by EVSS personnel. The Comm Van Chairman shall coordinate with the EVSS Liaison Officer to ensure that the maintenance activity is performed.

     

  4. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS APPROVAL

    5. This concept of operations document shall be submitted to the CVARC Board for review, modification, and approval. Once approved by the Board, the document shall be submitted to the CVARC membership for approval during a regularly scheduled CVARC club meeting.

    From time to time, changes in this concept of operations will be required. Proposed changes shall be submitted to the CVARC Board for review, modification, and approval. Once the changes are approved by the Board, the changes shall be submitted to the CVARC membership for approval during a regularly scheduled CVARC club meeting.

     

    APPENDIX A: POINTS OF CONTACT

     

     

    Title

    Name

    Phone No.

    FAX No.

    E-mail Address
    EVSS Liaison Officer Sgt. Bill Flannigan 805-494-8262 805-494-8295 bill.flannigan @mail.co.ventua.ca.us
    Comm Van Chairman Leon Kadish 818-707-1126   leon.kadish@gte.net
    Operations Coordinator Greg Lane 805-498-0454 661-540-0223 K7sdw@arrl.net
    Trustee AA6CV Greg Lane 805-498-0454 661-540-0223 K7sdw@arrl.net
    CVARC Board        
    President Ken Larson 805-459-9435   kj6rz@arrl.net
    Vice President Bill Hughes 805-492-5511   k6hb@ excite.com
    Secretary Alberta Munding 805-492-2128   ka6wkr@aol.com
    Treasurer Roy Deschene 818-887-4039   RoyFD@aol.com
    Operations Coord. Greg Lane 805-498-0454 661-540-0223 K7sdw@arrl.net
    Technical Coord. Rob Hanson 805-376-9350   w6rh@aol.com
    Editor/Publisher Roger Loiler 805-499-1716   6wne@arrl.net
    Public Relations Peter Hofmann 805-496-5893   ke6hui@arrl.net
    Education Karl Moody 805-523-0622   karlsharon@ aol.com
    Social Committee Jonathan Becker 805-371-1333   BeckerJM@ earthlink.net
    Member At Large Don Munding 805-492-2128   ka6wkr@aol.com
    Member At Large Mike Pershing 805-493-1934   kd6ijf@arrl.net
    Area 2 ARES/RACES        
    EC Greg Lane 805-498-0454 661-540-0223 K7sdw@arrl.net
    AEC Roy Deschene 818-887-4039   RoyFD@aol.com
    AEC Ken Larson 805-459-9435   kj6rz@arrl.net

     

     

     

    APPENDIX B: SPECIFIC CVARC COMM VAN MISSIONS

     

  5. RACES SUPPORT

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC RACES members to provide communications support during a Ventura County civil emergency. This communications support may be provided when the RACES Officer for the emergency, acting under direction from the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services, requests use of the CVARC Comm Van for the emergency.

If possible, the RACES Officer should direct the request for the CVARC Comm Van through the ARES/RACES Area 2 Emergency Coordinator (EC). If the Area 2 EC is not available, then the request should be directed through an ARES/RACES Area 2 Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) if possible. (Note that ARES/RACES Area 2 covers the Conejo Valley, including Newbury Park, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, and the Ventura County portion of Westlake).

Authorization to use the Comm Van for RACES support shall be granted provided that:

    1. A request for use of the Comm Van has been received from the RACES Officer for the emergency, and
    2. A CVARC RACES member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the emergency and to drive the Comm Van to and from its assigned locations.

 

  1. ARES SUPPORT

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members in support of the following activities:

    1. A Conejo Valley civil emergency,
    2. A Ventura County civil emergency,
    3. OES or EVSS sponsored community service events,
    4. Conejo Valley community service,
    5. Ventura County community service.
    1. Conejo Valley Civil Emergency

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during a Conejo Valley civil emergency. This communications support may be provided when such assistance is requested by the East Valley Sheriff Station (EVSS), the Ventura County Fire Department, Los Robles Hospital, the Thousand Oaks DART organization, the Ventura County Red Cross, the Thousand Oaks City Council, or other Conejo Valley civic leader(s).

Authorization to use the Comm Van for a Conejo Valley civil emergency shall be granted provided that:

    1. RACES activation of the Comm Van has not occurred,
    2. Communications support for the emergency has been requested by one of the organizations listed in the above paragraph, and
    3. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the emergency and to drive the Comm Van to and from its assigned locations.

 

    1. Ventura County Civil Emergency

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during a Ventura County civil emergency. Communications support for the Ventura County emergency may be provided when such assistance is requested by the East Valley Sheriff Station (EVSS), other Ventura Country ARES/RACES Areas, in particular Simi Valley (Area 1) and Moorpark (Area 8), the Ventura County Fire Department, hospitals within Ventura County, the Ventura County Red Cross, Ventura County DART organizations, or Ventura County civic leader(s).

Authorization to use the Comm Van for a Ventura County civil emergency shall be granted provided that:

    1. RACES activation of the Comm Van has not occurred,
    2. The Comm Van is not engaged in supporting a Conejo Valley civil emergency,
    3. Communications support for the emergency has been requested by one of the organizations listed in the above paragraph, and
    4. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the emergency and to drive the Comm Van to and from its assigned locations.

 

    1. OES or EVSS Sponsored Community Service Events

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during an OES or EVSS sponsored community service event. This communications support may be provided when such assistance is requested by the OES or EVSS.

Authorization to use the Comm Van for an OES or EVSS sponsored community service event shall be granted provided that:

    1. The Comm Van is not engaged in emergency services,
    2. The Comm Van is not already scheduled for an other event occurring on the same date,
    3. Communications support for the event has been requested by the OES or EVSS, and
    4. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the event and to drive the Comm Van to and from the event.

 

 

    1. Conejo Valley Community Service

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during Conejo Valley community events open to the general public (parades, bike races, marathon runs, etc.). Note that in accordance with FCC Section 97.110 (Business communications prohibited), CVARC Comm Van support shall only be provided to the general community or to non-profit organizations supporting the general community. Communications support shall not be provided for the political or monetary gain of any individual, group of individuals, organizations, or businesses.

CVARC Comm Van communications support may be provided when such assistance is requested by the sponsor of the community event.

Authorization to use the Comm Van for a Conejo Valley community service event shall be granted provided that:

    1. The Comm Van is not engaged in emergency services,
    2. The Comm Van is not already scheduled for an other event occurring on the same date,
    3. A request to use the Comm Van for an OES or EVSS sponsored community service event on that same date has not been received,
    4. The Conejo Valley community event is open to the general public and in accordance with FCC Section 97.110,
    5. Communications support for the event has been requested by the sponsor of the event, and
    6. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the event and to drive the Comm Van to and from the event.

 

    1. Ventura County Community Service

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during Ventura County community events open to the general public (parades, bike races, marathon runs, etc.). Note that in accordance with FCC Section 97.110 (Business communications prohibited), CVARC Comm Van support shall only be provided to the general community or to non-profit organizations supporting the general community. Communications support shall not be provided for the political or monetary gain of any individual, group of individuals, organizations, or businesses.

CVARC Comm Van communications support may be provided when such assistance is requested by the sponsor of the community event.

Authorization to use the Comm Van for a Ventura County community service event shall be granted provided that:

    1. The Comm Van is not engaged in emergency services,
    2. The Comm Van is not already scheduled for an other event occurring on the same date,
    3. A request to use the Comm Van for an OES or EVSS sponsored community service event on that same date has not been received,
    4. A request to use the Comm Van for a Conejo Valley community service event on that same date has not been received,
    1. The Ventura County community event is open to the general public and in accordance with FCC Section 97.110,
    1. Communications support for the event has been requested by the sponsor of the event, and
    2. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the event and to drive the Comm Van to and from the event.

 

 

  1. CVARC CLUB ACTIVITIES

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used by CVARC members to provide communications support during CVARC club activities. Use of the Comm Van during the club activity may be requested by any CVARC member.

Authorization to use the Comm Van for a CVARC club activity shall be granted provided that:

    1. The Comm Van is not engaged in emergency services,
    2. The Comm Van is not already scheduled for an other event occurring on the same date,
    3. A request to use the Comm Van for a community service event on that date has not been received,
    4. The club activity is open to all CVARC members,
    5. The club activity has been announced on the CVARC web site and/or at a previous regularly scheduled CVARC general meeting, and
    6. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the event and to drive the Comm Van to and from the event.

 

  1. CVARC MEMBER TRAINING

The CVARC Comm Van shall be used to provide CVARC members with communications training, including but not limited to RACES emergency communications training, ARES community service communications support training, training in preparations for a planned CVARC club activity (such as Field Day), mobile communications training, and general amateur radio communications training. Use of the Comm Van for CVARC member training may be requested by any CVARC member.

Authorization to use the Comm Van for CVARC member training shall be granted provided that:

    1. The Comm Van is not engaged in emergency services,
    2. The Comm Van is not already scheduled for an other event occurring on the same date,
    3. A request to use the Comm Van for a community service event on that date has not been received,
    4. A request to use the Comm Van for a CVARC club activity on that date has not been received,
    5. The training activity is open to all CVARC members,
    6. The training activity has been announced on the CVARC web site and/or at a previous regularly scheduled CVARC general meeting, and
    7. A CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to accept responsibility for the Comm Van during the event and to drive the Comm Van to and from the event.

 

 

  1. CVARC COMM VAN MAINTENANCE

    2. The CVARC Comm Van will require regular maintenance to ensure that it is able to support its various missions as described above. Comm Van maintenance activities shall be coordinated by the Comm Van Chairman with assistance from CVARC members and East Valley Sheriff Station (EVSS) personnel. The team performing the maintenance work must include a CVARC member who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, if the maintenance work is to be performed at a location other than the East Valley Sheriff Station. The EVSS Liaison Officer must be notified of the maintenance activity if the maintenance work is to be performed at a location other than the EVSS. This notification must be provided to the EVSS Liaison Officer prior to driving the Comm Van to the maintenance location. If the Comm Van Chairman is not available when Comm Van maintenance is required, then the duties of the Comm Van Chairman shall be performed by the CVARC Operations Coordinator. If neither the Comm Van Chairman or the CVARC Operations Coordinator is available, then the CVARC Technical Coordinator shall be responsible for the required Comm Van maintenance activities.

    Comm Van maintenance shall be performed on a regularly scheduled basis. However, the Comm Van maintenance activities shall not be performed when the Comm Van is engaged in a civil emergency or when the Comm Van is scheduled for a community event, a CVARC club activity, or a CVARC member training activity. The CVARC Comm Van will be out of service for the duration of the maintenance activity.

     

  2. CVARC COMM VAN UPGRADING

The CVARC Comm Van will occasionally require upgrading so that it can better support its various missions as described above. A proposed Comm Van Upgrade shall be documented in a Comm Van Upgrade Specification that describes:

    1. The capabilities that will be added by the upgrade,
    2. The reasons why the upgrade is require for the Comm Van to continue to satisfy its various missions,
    3. The approach for implementing the upgrade,
    4. The team of CVARC members who have agreed to work on the upgrade,
    5. The CVARC member who has agreed to lead the upgrade effort,
    6. The proposed time frame for implementing the upgrade, and
    7. The estimated cost for the upgrade.

The proposed Comm Van Upgrade Specification shall be submitted to the CVARC general membership for approval at a regularly scheduled CVARC meeting. If approved, work on the upgrade shall commence in accordance with the schedule proposed in the specification. However, the upgrade works shall not interfere with any previously scheduled Comm Van activities. The CVARC Comm Van Chairman shall work with the upgrade team to ensure that the Comm Van is available for the team to perform the upgrade work and to ensure that a CVARC member, who is on the list of authorized Comm Van drivers, is available to drive the Comm Van to and from the location where the upgrade work is to be performed. The EVSS Liaison Officer must be notified of the Comm Van upgrade activity prior to driving the Comm Van to the location where the upgrade work is to be performed. The CVARC Comm Van will be out of service for at least part of the time during which the upgrade work is occurring.

 

 

  1. PERSONAL USE

    2. Personal use of the CVARC Comm Van shall not be permitted.

     

  2. OTHER USES

    3. No other uses shall be permitted for the CVARC Comm Van.

     

  3. AREA OF SERVICE

    4. The CVARC Comm Van shall be used only within Ventura County unless official authorization from EVSS or OES has been obtained.

     

     

    APPENDIX C: COMM VAN CHAIRMAN DUTIES

     

  4. DUTIES OF THE COMM VAN CHAIRMAN

The duties of the Comm Van Chairman shall include the following:

    1. Promote the use of the Comm Van,
    1. Serve as the Comm Van point of contact (POC) with the cognizant EVSS Liaison Officer,
    2. Maintain a list of approved Comm Van drivers,
    1. Perform the following duties in preparation for, during, and following a Comm Van activity:
    1. Perform the following Comm Van maintenance duties,
    1. Conduct a Comm Van inventory twice yearly.

 

 

APPENDIX D: CVARC COMM VAN OPERATIONS

 

  1. UTILIZING THE COMM VAN FOR A MISSION

    2. The procedures for utilizing the Comm Van for a mission are described in the following subsections.

    In the subsections that follow, the Comm Van Chairman duties shall be performed by either the Operations Coordinator or a Board member if the Comm Van Chairman is not available. If the Comm Van Chairman expects to be unavailable for a period of time, then he/she shall delegate the Comm Van Chairman duties to the Operations Coordinator. If the Operations Coordinator is not, or will not be available, then the Comm Van Chairman duties shall be delegated to a Board member. If such delegation has not occurred, and the Comm Van Chairman is believed to be available, then non-emergency requests for use of the Comm Van submitted to the Operations Coordinator or a Board member shall be redirected to the Comm Van Chairman to avoid scheduling confusion. The Operations Coordinator or a Board member shall directly handle any emergency request that he/she receives, notifying the Comm Van Chairman of the request at the earliest opportunity.

     

    1. Requesting Use Of The Comm Van

      2. A request for use of the Comm Van shall be submitted to the Comm Van Chairman in accordance with Section 3.

      The request for use of the Comm Van does not need to be submitted a specific number of days prior to the date of planned use. During an emergency, the request for use of the Comm Van may occur only minutes before its intended use. However, requesting the Comm Van a week or more in advance will provide the Comm Van Chairman with more time to schedule a Comm Van driver and to ensure that the Comm Van is ready for the planned event.

      A verbal request for use of the Comm Van is adequate. Written requests, such as an e-mail request, are certainly acceptable, but are not required.

       

    2. Approving Use Of The Comm Van

      3. A request for use of the Comm Van shall be approved by the Comm Van Chairman provided that the request falls within one of the approved Comm Van missions, as specified in Appendix B, and that the conditions for approving the mission are satisfied.

      Upon approval, the Comm Van Chairman shall enter the name of the requester, the date when the request was received, the planned date of the activity, and a description of the event in the Comm Van Scheduling Book that shall be maintained by the Comm Van Chairman.

       

    3. Notifying The EVSS Liaison Officer

      4. The Comm Van Chairman shall notify the EVSS Liaison Officer of the planned Comm Van activity. The notification shall be accomplished by either a phone call to the liaison officer or by sending the liaison officer a FAX. The telephone and FAX numbers for the EVSS Liaison Officer are provided in Appendix A. The liaison officer shall be notified of the planned event as soon as practical. The liaison officer must be notified prior to the actual use of the Comm Van. During an emergency, an attempt to notify the liaison officer shall be adequate. The Comm Van Chairman shall enter the time, date, and method used (phone or FAX) to notify the liaison officer in the Comm Van Scheduling Book.

       

    4. Pre-mission Checkout

The Comm Van Chairman shall perform a pre-mission checkout of the Comm Van to ascertain the vehicle’s readiness prior to an event. This pre-mission checkout may be performed with or delegated to the Comm Van driver scheduled for the event. The pre-mission checkout shall include:

    1. Verifying that the Comm Van vehicle appears to be in good working order and free from damage,
    2. Verifying that the Comm Van oil, power steering, coolant, brake, and windshield washer fluids are at their proper levels,
    3. Verifying that the Comm Van tires are in good condition and appear to be properly inflated,
    4. Verifying that the Comm Van has been fueled,
    5. Verifying that the Comm Van 12 VDC electrical system is working properly, including checking the electrical system voltage level,
    6. Verifying that the Comm Van antennas required for the event are properly attached and free from damage,
    7. Verifying that all of the non-government radios to be used for the event are working properly, configured in their standard operating modes, and that their memories are properly programmed.
    8. At no time are the government radios (Police Radios) to be operated without the specific authorization of EVSS or OES.

Any vehicle problems identified in items 1 through 4 above must be reported to the EVSS Liaison Officer and successfully resolved by EVSS personnel prior to use of the Comm Van for its scheduled event. Any problems with the Comm Van 12 VDC electrical system must be successfully resolved by CVARC members prior to use of the Comm Van for its scheduled event. Problems with the antennas and/or radios should be resolved by CVARC members prior to using the Comm Van. Antennas and radios that are not working and can not be repaired prior to using the Comm Van shall be visibly marked as non-operational.

The date and the results of the pre-mission checkout shall be documented in the Comm Van Logbook maintained in the Comm Van. All identified problems, the resolution to those problems, and the date when the problems where resolved, shall also be documented in the Comm Van Logbook.

The pre-mission checkout, and any problem resolutions, may occur several days prior to the day on which the Comm Van is to be used for its scheduled event. If this is the case, the Comm Van driver shall examine the logbook, to determine the results of the pre-mission checkout and problem resolutions, and perform a visual inspection of the Comm Van to verify that the Comm Van appears to be in good working operational order.

The Comm Van driver shall enter in the logbook his/her name and call sign, the Comm Van mileage, the results of the visual inspection, and the date and time of the inspection. The Comm Van driver shall perform these duties prior to leaving the EVSS for the event.

    1. Operations Of The Comm Van During The Mission

      2. Unless other arrangements are made with the Comm Van Chairman, the Comm Van driver will pick up the Comm Van at the EVSS, perform the pre-mission tasks designated for the Comm Van driver, and drive the Comm Van to the scheduled event.

      During the event, the Comm Van radio equipment shall be operated by FCC licensed CVARC members in good standing for the class of license held, in accordance with CVARC operations rules, and in support of the event activities. Specifically, the CVARC members are responsible for operating all Comm Van amateur radio equipment in accordance with FCC rules and regulations as licensed. The call sign AA6CV shall not be used without the physical presence of the Trustee with the exception of the digital packet GPS network.

      At the conclusion of the event, CVARC members shall shut down the Comm Van radio equipment, return all radios and antennas to their storage positions, return all other Comm Van equipment to its storage positions, and insure that the interior of the Comm Van is in a clean orderly condition.

       

    2. Returning The Comm Van To The EVSS

      3. Following the event, the Comm Van driver shall return the Comm Van to the RACES parking spot at the EVSS unless other arrangements have been made with the Comm Van Chairman.

      The Comm Van driver shall fuel the Comm Van at the EVSS fuel pumps, if possible, upon return of the Comm Van to the EVSS. The EVSS Liaison Officer shall be informed if the Comm Van cannot be fueled at the time of return. EVSS has agreed to fuel the Comm Van at the EVSS fuel pumps whenever necessary. The EVSS fuel pump key should be located inside the Comm Van Cabinet 1.

       

    3. Cleaning The Comm Van

      4. The exterior of the Comm Van can be washed following an event by either CVARC members or EVSS personnel. Internal cleaning of the Comm Van is the responsibility of CVARC members prior to the returning of the van to its EVSS parking location.

    4. Post Mission Inspection

      5. A post mission inspection of the Comm Van shall be performed by the Comm Van driver upon returning the Comm Van to the EVSS. The Comm Van shall be inspected for any damage that occurred to the Comm Van, antenna array, radios, 12 VDC power system, and other Comm Van equipment during the event.

      The Comm Van driver shall record in the Comm Van Logbook his/her name and call sign, the names and call signs of the personnel using the Comm Van during the activity, the date and time when the Comm Van was returned to the EVSS, and the Comm Van mileage to and from the event. The results of the post mission inspection as well as any equipment failures or anomalies during the mission shall also be recorded in the logbook. Finally, the Comm Van driver shall enter in the logbook any pertinent comments or lessons learned regarding use of the Comm Van during the event.

      The Comm Van driver shall report any damage to the Comm Van or Comm Van equipment failures to the Comm Van Chairman. The Comm Van Chairman shall notify the EVSS Liaison Officer of any damage to the Comm Van and of any maintenance work which EVSS personnel need to perform on the Comm Van vehicle. The Comm Van Chairman shall organize a CVARC work party to repair any damage to the interior of the Comm Van and to repair any failures in the Comm Van 12 VDC power system, radios, antennas, or other Comm Van equipment. The Comm Van Chairman shall monitor the progress of the EVSS and CVARC work being performed on the Comm Van and its equipment until all required repairs are completed.

       

    5. Completing The Mission Report

The Comm Van Chairman shall write a report following each Comm Van event. The report shall be completed within 30 days following the event and submitted to the CVARC Board Secretary. The report shall include:

  1. The name of the event,
  2. The time period over which the event took place,
  3. The location where the event occurred.
  4. The name and call sign of the Comm Van driver,
  5. The names and call signs of the personnel using the Comm Van during the event,
  6. The activities in which the Comm Van was involved during the event, including notable accomplishments of the CVARC members operating the Comm Van,
  7. Recommendations for use of the Comm Van in similar future events,
  8. Any problems incurred during operation of the Comm Van,
  9. Recommendations for correcting the problems,
  10. Any lessons learned from participation in the event.

The Comm Van Chairman may delegate writing of the report to the Comm Van driver or one of the CVARC members participating in the event. However, it is the Comm Van Chairman’s responsibility to ensure that the report is written within the allotted time frame.

 

  1. COMM VAN INVENTORY

An inventory of the Comm Van (which includes all club radios and electronic and non-electronic components) shall be conducted by the Comm Van Chairman twisce a year.

 

Return to Communications Van