A. A primary responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service, as established by Part 97 of the Federal Communication Commission regulations (47CFR), is the performance of public service communications for the general public, particularly in times of a disaster or other incident when normal communication systems may become disrupted or inadequate.

B. Using frequencies allocated to the Amateur Radio Service, amateur radio operators have been in the forefront providing auxiliary communication services directly to and for the general public through government agencies and disaster relief organizations. To that end, in 1935, the ARRL, The National Association for AMATEUR RADIO, organized the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps, now called the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.

C. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a nationwide field organization sponsored by ARRL and is managed by respective Emergency Coordinators at the state, district and county level. It is at the county level where most of the emergency preparedness planning, organizing and training is accomplished, because this is the level at which most emergencies occur and the level at which ARES leaders have direct contact with ARES members, with amateur radio clubs and groups, and with officials of the served agencies.

D. The Greene County Amateur Radio Emergency Service is comprised of licensed amateurs who reside and/or work within Greene County and who have voluntarily registered their equipment and skills and have expressed a desire to organize, train and be prepared to provide auxiliary communication services for public service agencies and other relief organizations when disaster strikes or whenever called upon. The on-going objective of GCARES is to maintain a sufficient degree of preparedness of local amateur radio resources to deliver reliable and effective communications support when needed.

E. The Xenia Weather Amateur Radio Net is a Greene County amateur radio club which was formed shortly after the 1974 "Xenia Tornado" with the expressed purpose of providing the City of Xenia and Greene County personnel with a reliable backup to their civil communication systems when needed in times of an emergency. XWARN members also provide amateur radio public service communications support for civic functions.

A. The Greene County Amateur Radio Emergency Service recognizes the Xenia Weather Amateur Radio Net as an autonomous Greene County amateur radio club which owns, operates and maintains repeater facilities; owns, operates and maintains amateur radio stations located within the Xenia/Greene County Emergency Operations Center located in the basement of the Xenia Municipal Building; conducts public service, educational and other club activities; has established an amateur radio weather net operation; and is the primary Serving Group for the City of Xenia and Greene County government.

B. The Xenia Weather Amateur Radio Net recognizes the Greene County Amateur Radio Emergency Service as the local extension of the ARRL Field Organization for planning and coordinating overall countywide emergency preparedness and operations in Greene County which owns, operates and maintains repeater facilities; comprises members of the Greene County amateur radio clubs and other groups and individuals; has developed a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan with policies & procedures for supporting Greene County public safety agencies, the American Red Cross Greene County Service Center, Greene Memorial Hospital and other Greene County agencies and disaster relief organizations; and is actively associated with the Miami Valley Emergency Management Authority and the National Weather Service Skywarn Program.

C. Both GCARES and XWARN acknowledge and respect the fact that other Greene County amateur radio clubs and groups also have established primary Serving Group relationships with other Greene County townships and communities including, to date, the City of Beavercreek and Beavercreek Township, the City of Bellbrook and Sugarcreek Township, the City of Fairborn and Bath Township, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

D. Both GCARES and XWARN acknowledge that the Greene County Traffic and Information Net (GCTIN, or GCTN) is not a club function of XWARN and that the GCTIN was established by a private individual as an independent countywide net for the exchange of traffic and information for all Greene County amateur radio operators, clubs and groups.

4. METHOD OF COOPERATION

In order that the amateur radio emergency communications personnel, facilities and procedures of Greene County may be coordinated and utilized to the fullest advantage for supporting communication emergencies and disaster relief operations in Greene County, the Greene County Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the Xenia Weather Amateur Radio Net have agreed to the following:

A. XWARN will appoint a representative to participate in GCARES Planning Committee meetings for the planning of coordinated amateur radio auxiliary communication services for all of Greene County, including personnel, facilities and operational policies and procedures. This representative will be the primary XWARN contact person for GCARES.

B. The XWARN representative will be responsible for representing XWARN’s views and position on GCARES policies and procedures, and for reporting GCARES proposals and actions back to XWARN. XWARN will have the right to review, approve, reject or propose modifications to any GCARES transactions which impact XWARN. GCARES will provide XWARN with a current copy of its  Emergency Operations Plan each time it is updated.

C. XWARN will respond as the primary Serving Group for the City of Xenia, the Greene County government, and the Xenia/Greene County Emergency Operation Center when called upon by the respective Served Agencies or in conjunction with a GCARES emergency or training operation. XWARN will designate a core group qualified to operate as Net Control Stations and capable of responding to and activating the Xenia/GC EOC.

D. XWARN approves the inclusion of its repeaters in the GCARES Frequency Plan. The XWARN 147.165 MHz repeater output frequency will be designated the Primary Greene County Emergency Frequency. XWARN will strive to maintain its repeaters and back-up emergency power sources in good condition in order to assure their readiness in the event of a disaster or other emergency situation.

E. GCARES and XWARN will cooperate to select and train designated Net Control operators who will be capable of functioning as Net Control Station or Liaison Station for weather nets, GCTIN and emergency/training nets. Confidential "Net Codes" for the XWARN and the GCARES repeaters will be shared with each designated Net Control operator.

F. XWARN approves the use of its repeaters by GCARES for training or other related activities whenever the repeaters are not being used for a weather net or scheduled for an activity by XWARN or another group. GCARES will schedule and coordinate its use of XWARN repeaters in advance with the XWARN representative to the GCARES Planning Committee.

G. In order to promote countywide participation and unity, XWARN will also refer to its weather net as the XWARN Weather net covering Greene county in conjunction with the Miami Valley Emergency Management Authority, will arrange for an annual Skywarn Training Class to be presented in Greene County by the National Weather Service.

H. XWARN acknowledges that its severe winter weather transportation assistance for Greene Memorial Hospital personnel is conducted as an XWARN club function and not as a function of GCARES.

I. GCARES, as a group, will participate in amateur radio emergency communications support (mutual assistance) in other counties only when called upon in accordance with the mutual aid policies and procedures established by the Ohio Section and the West Central Ohio District of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. XWARN members and other Greene County amateurs are free to assist in other counties on an individual basis.

This agreement is effective as of the date indicated below, and shall remain in effect unless terminated by written notification from either party to the other; or, until replaced by an updated version mutually agreed to by both parties.

June 10, 2002 
Date of Agreement


XENIA WEATHER AMATEUR RADIO NET

              Steven J. Mackey  
Steven J. Mackey, N8ILR, Treasurer


GREENE COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE

                H. Fred Stone 
H. Fred Stone, W8LLY, Emergency Coordinator