Emergency Traffic During the Wednesday Night Net
You are net control for the Wednesday 7:00 p.m. ARES net on the 146.940 MHz repeater (input 146.340 MHz, CTCSS 100.0 Hz). At 7:12, a station using the call K1XYZ has had a stuck carrier for more than ten minutes-no audio, just a dead key-and no one can check in. You have tried calling the station on the repeater and on the simplex frequency 146.940 MHz, with no response. Then a weak, breaking station, W1ABC, says: "Emergency traffic, emergency traffic-my father is unconscious and I need an ambulance." At the same time, N0CALL keeps transmitting "10-4, you're 5 by 9" and asking for signal reports. Another station offers to "find K1XYZ and teach him a lesson." The repeater is owned by a local club whose trustee is not available. You have a cell phone and the club's contact list.
1. What do you do first, and how do you order the competing traffic?
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Acknowledge the emergency immediately and take control of the net. Say something like, "W1ABC, net control, emergency traffic acknowledged; all stations stand by." Emergency traffic has priority over routine check-ins, signal reports, and the stuck carrier. Ask W1ABC for the exact location, the nature of the emergency, a callback number, and whether 911 has already been called. If 911 has not been called, call it yourself or direct a specific station to do so while you keep W1ABC on frequency. If the stuck carrier is blocking the emergency, move the emergency station to a clear simplex frequency or another repeater rather than trying to talk over the carrier. Do not let N0CALL's requests for signal reports delay the emergency. Part 97.403 and 97.405 recognize that immediate safety of life takes precedence, but you should still keep the exchange organized and brief.
2. How should you handle the stuck carrier and the station that offers to "teach him a lesson"?
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Treat the stuck carrier as a likely open microphone or equipment malfunction, not as a personal attack. Do not intentionally transmit over it, add noise, or encourage retaliation; deliberate interference is prohibited and would make the situation worse. Try to reach K1XYZ by telephone using the club contact list. If the carrier is causing harmful interference and cannot be resolved, the repeater's control operator or trustee can temporarily disable the repeater, but that decision belongs to the repeater control operator, not to an angry net participant. Tell the station offering to "teach him a lesson" to stand by and not transmit; explain that the net is handling it. If the emergency is active, the practical solution is to move the emergency traffic to a clear frequency. Log the times, calls, and actions for later follow-up.
3. What identification and logging should you do during the emergency?
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Continue to identify your station with your own call sign at the end of each communication and at least every 10 minutes during the emergency. Remind W1ABC to identify as well, but do not let identification formalities delay a 911 call or a concise report of location and symptoms. Part 97.405 permits using any means available to provide essential communications for immediate safety of life when normal systems are unavailable, but it does not mean the net should become undisciplined. Keep a simple log: time, station call sign, location, nature of emergency, who called 911, and what frequency or repeater was used. Avoid passing medical details beyond what the dispatcher needs. After the emergency ends, make a brief closing announcement, return the net to normal order, and report the incident to the club.