Monthly Archives: April 2013

Traffic handling

Hitting the street

Before we transmit the numerical part of a street address, we say, “figures.” Then we transmit the house number one digit at a time. Next, we say the street name. Unless the street name is a very common word, we then say, “I spell” and then spell the street name phonetically. In the street address, we do not expand abbreviations or compress words to abbreviations. If the radiogram reads, “Ave,” we say “Initials alpha Victor echo.” If the Radiogram reads “Avenue,” we say, “Avenue,” not “Ave.” So, an address like this: 1234 Woodlan Rd, would sound like “Figures one two three four, Woodlan, I spell, whiskey Oscar Oscar delta Lima alpha November, initials Romeo delta.” PO Box 1234 would sound like “initials papa Oscar, box, figures one two three four.” 313 4th St would sound like “figures three one three, mixed group four tango hotel, initials Sierra tango.” Next week, going to town.

(This is the 10th in a series of short traffic-handling columns I submitted to the Kosciusko County ARES newsletter.)

Traffic handling

Addressing the addressee

The pause we take after sending a radiogram preamble is the only introduction the address needs. We don’t say, “Going to,” we just say the first name of the addressee. If the first name is unusual or could be spelled in more than one way (e.g. Jon and John or Chris and Kris), we follow the name with the words, “I spell,” and then spell it phonetically. If there’s a middle initial, we say, “initial,” and then the initial phonetically. Then we say the last name. It is best practice to always spell the last name, even common last names, so we again say, “I spell” and the spell the name phonetically. If there is a call sign after the name, we say, “amateur call” and then the call sign phonetically. Here’s how “Chris B. Johnson W9XAB” should sound: “Chris, I spell, Charlie hotel, Romeo, India, Sierra, initial bravo, Johnson, I spell, Juliet, Oscar, hotel, November, Sierra, Oscar, November, amateur call whiskey nine x-ray alpha bravo.” Next week: Addresses.

(This is the ninth in a series of short traffic-handling columns I submitted to the Kosciusko County ARES newsletter.)

Disasters

Fort Wayne flood evacuations: Waynedale area

Update: At 11:19 a.m. EDT, a FWFD battalion chief advised his dispatcher that the FWFD was terminating operations at Dalevue Dr.

Indiana’s News Center is reporting that people are being evacuated from their homes at Fernwood Ave. and Dalevue Dr. in the Waynedale area of southwestern Fort Wayne.


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Disasters, SKYWARN

Flood rescue underway?

Picture of handheld police scanner radio

From police scanner traffic, it sounds as if the Fort Wayne Fire Department is involved in some sort of operation along Spy Run Creek. One fire deparment officer just reported that the water in one intersection is at least 12 inches deeper than it was when he arrived. Add a comment below if you have additional information.

SKYWARN

Where to find NWS flood warnings, statements

NWS logo

Below are links to flood-related text products from the northern Indiana National Weather Service office. Each page lists every product the office has issued of that type, for any location in its 37-county warning area.

 If you want to see only statements that affect Fort Wayne, visit this page and click the links in the pink “Hazardous Weather Conditions” box

SKYWARN

Flood watch becomes warning

The northern Indiana office of the NWS just pulled the trigger on a flood warning. The text includes:

NUMEROUS SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS…INCLUDING SPY RUN IN THE FORT WAYNE METRO AREA…WILL LIKELY OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS. NUMEROUS ROADWAYS WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE DUE TO WATER FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD…AND DEEP PONDED WATER IN POORLY DRAINED SECTIONS.