Charter
Vashon ACS (Vashon Auxiliary Communications Service)
Vashon Island, WA
This charter establishes a Vashon Island Auxiliary Communications Service (Vashon ACS) staffed with volunteer radio telecommunications and computing personnel. It shall be supported by and will be affiliated with VashonBePrepared.
The mission of the Vashon ACS is to provide a cadre of trained and equipped volunteer members who are able to render emergency, tactical, strategic, administrative, and logistical communications support upon request to Vashon Island emergency organizations, Vashon Island Fire and Rescue (VIFR) and its King County agencies, as requested or needed.
Operations could occur in multiple situations ranging from the Vashon Emergency Operations Center (Vashon EOC) to field-deployable communications assets, under varied conditions in support of Federal, State and Local agencies, Fire, Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Incident Command Posts.
The specific purposes of Vashon ACS include but are not limited to:
1. Support and enhance the public service communications systems of Vashon Island in the event of an emergency, system failure, overload or other problem that might jeopardize their usefulness and purpose. This shall include, but not be limited to, the following systems and departments: 9-1-1, fire, police, public works, transportation, finance and administration, and aviation.
2. Handle message information, command and liaison 'traffic' as is required for any communications needed in an emergency or threat of an emergency. This requires familiarization and training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Response Framework (NRF).
3. Provide access to FCC Amateur Radio Service frequencies during times of emergencies, as requested by VIFR.
4. Maintain communications equipment in an on-going state of readiness and conduct periodic communications tests.
5. Set up, staff, volunteers, and maintain communications capacity at various locations as specified in the current Emergency Communications Plan.
6. Provide weather spotting, infrastructure monitoring, and support during unusual weather such as heavy rains, winds, snow, and flood.
7. Provide computer systems and wireless networking skills to support served agency personnel in times of unusual need, such as during and following an emergency.
8. Perform scene monitoring and/or documentation of evidence collection via Amateur Television and other communications technologies in support of incident management or law enforcement at the scene of emergencies, large special events, or investigations.
9. Activate a minimum level of augmentation whenever served agency staff are alerted to a potential or existing emergency.
10. Provide operators for all necessary positions to sustain operations as long as the Vashon EOC, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and other emergency groups requiring emergency communication services are activated.
11. Plan and conduct training and familiarization events, including, but not limited to, simulated emergency tests on an ongoing basis for the Vashon EOC, Vashon CERT, VIFR as well as other served agencies and organizations, as requested.
12. Assist in the development and ongoing updates of a comprehensive strategic and tactical communications plan for Vashon Maury Island.
Date: September 2014, Revised March 2015