Tactical-Resource Net
The Pinellas County ACS/ARES® Tactical-Resource net will be activated to support the emergency and non-emergency events. When activated, the net has two main functions. First, as a tactical net, it will be used to manage the flow of real-time ACS tactical communications within the county. Second, as a resource net, its NCS will keep track of all net participants, the capabilities of each participant, and the deployment status of each participant. This net will also be used to issue assignments; locate needed equipment and supplies; and dispatch repair crews as needed. To keep the frequency open for tactical exchanges and resource management, whenever possible, formal written traffic will be redirected to the Winlink Digital Data net, the Pinellas VHF traffic net, or the ACS/ARES® Shelter net, as appropriate, for servicing.
The W4ACS repeater system is the primary repeater used to support the tactical-resource net.
Shelter Net
The ACS/ARES® Shelter net will be activated anytime the Pinellas County EOC issues an evacuation order. The mission of the ACS/ARES® Shelter net is to provide communications between each county evacuation shelter and the county EOC. The WD4SCD repeater system is the primary repeater used to support this net. The WD4SCD repeater has a single transmitter site and five receive sites distributed throughout Pinellas County. The repeater receive sites are connected to the transmitter site using UHF communication links. User should identify the receiving station that is closest to their current location and then program their radio with the corresponding Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) tone shown in the following table.
The WD4SCD repeater system is also designated as the primary back-up repeater to the W4ACS repeater system.
The location of each repeater receive site is shown in the following map.
Local VHF Traffic Net
The local VHF traffic net is used to exchange formal message traffic between stations within Pinellas County and as a gateway for traffic destined for or received from locations outside of the Tampa Bay region. A Section/Regional traffic net liaison station will be assigned to this net to expedite delivery of out of region traffic. The WA4AKH repeater system is the primary repeater used to support the local VHF traffic net. Refer to the following table for operational information.
Sectional/Regional Traffic Nets
The Section and Regional nets listed below are used to send and receive traffic destined for or received from locations outside of the Tampa Bay region. A liaison station will be assigned to the Pinellas County local VHF traffic net to expedite the delivery of out of region traffic.
Winlink Digital Data Network
The Winlink Digital Data Net is used to exchange both informal and formal message traffic between deployed ACS/ARES® users and the Pinellas EOC.
Pinellas County Simplex Operations
Depending on the type of emergency ACS/ARES® is supporting, it is possible that the primary and all back-up local repeater systems may become unusable. When this failure mode is encountered, ACS/ARES® will activate a simplex net.
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- Plan A – All Pinellas County: 146.43 MHz – Wideband (5 kHz)
- Plan B – Pinellas County split at Ulmerton Rd
- North of Ulmerton Rd: 146.43 MHz – Wideband (5 kHz)
- South of Ulmerton Rd: 146.47 MHz – Wideband (5 kHz)
- Leverage the National Calling Frequency: 146.52 MHz – Wideband (5 kHz)
VHF Inter-County Coordination Net
The W4PEM repeater (New Port Richey) has been designated as the inter-county operations frequency for Emergency operations during extensive or long-term events affecting multiple counties in Pinellas/Pasco/Hillsborough.
This frequency is for NCS use only and should be used to relay significant emergency events moving from county to county or along county borders including weather emergencies.
If the W4PEM repeater is unavailable, then the N4TP repeater can be used as the inter-county frequency with the permission of the Hillsborough ARES®/RACES EC/RO.
WCF ARES® nets will be operated on a section level upon authorization of the WCF section EC or the section manager. Such nets will be conducted to support inter-county emergency operations using the NI4CE repeater system. Refer to the following table for operational information about inter-county coordination repeater systems.
