VE7PEP supports the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre (PECC) and the Vancouver Island and Central Coast Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC).
How to reach VE7PEP
The preferred method to reach the radio room is data rather than voice. There are major advantages to digital messaging (data) including efficiency (speed to send a lengthy message via data versus sending it by voice) , error-correction, and the ability to handle large amounts of data. The preferred method of digital messaging is using Winlink CMS rather than peer-to-peer. There are major advantages to using Winlink CMS with the main one being the ability to send one message to multiple stations with one connection. There are also hundreds of Winlink CMS connections all over the world versus a single point of failure if you are trying to connect to one station peer-to-peer (the path may not be good or the station may be busy). Finally, if the PREOC is uninhabitable, all messages sent via Winlink CMS can still be retrieved from anywhere that the PREOC is established whereas any peer-to-peer messages will not be retrievable until the building has been deemed to be safe for occupants. Having said that, although that is the preferred method, during an event we will use any reasonable means available to communicate with EOC radio rooms.
Nets
Every Wednesday evening from 18:30 – 19:10 local time, VE7PEP holds an emergency radio net on 147.570 MHz simplex. The purpose of the net is to make contact with EOCs in the Capital Regional District.
Every Wednesday evening at 19:15 – 19:40 local time, VE7PEP holds an emergency radio net on the Vancouver Island Trunk Repeater System. The purpose of the net is to make contact with EOCs in the Vancouver Island Region (VIR) as well as interested amateurs in the VIR. Each of the Regional Districts in the VIR are called in sequence.
Team Members
The Headquarters amateur radio group consists of two teams. Alpha Team is the core volunteer group. Bravo Team consists of amateur radio operators that are dedicated to other local authority emergency programs in the region but have received training on the procedures and use of the radio equpment at EMBC HQ.
Bravo Team’s primary response is to their local authority first and will assist EMBC only if their local authority is not involved in an event. A Letter of Understanding has been signed between EMBC HQ and the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization (PEMO) to provide PEMO members on a mutual aid basis.