• Guidelines
• Words and phrases with specific meanings (a.k.a. "prowords")
• Phonetic Alphabet
• Summary
• Using FSAR's Icom F3S radios

Clear, concise and unambiguous are keywords for search and rescue communications, where a misunderstanding can cost lives. Here are a few tips, and a guide to the lingo of radio operators.

These guidelines can also be used over telephone lines to ensure that emergency messages are received and understood properly. If you have ever heard tapes of emergency calls to fire or police dispatchers you know that many such messages are hard to understand. You can get help faster by making yourself understood.

Be careful what you say, you never know who is listening.
It's always best to assume that the family of the missing people, the media, police chief and fire chief are all listening to the radio. Canadian law allows anyone to monitor almost all radio communications, but unless the transmission is intended for you, it is illegal to repeat details of what you hear. (Of course, these two sentences can't cover the exceptions and caveats!)

Know what you want to say before pressing the PTT (Push-To-Talk switch).
Writing some notes will help. Think of reporters: who, what, where, when, why, how.

After pressing the PTT, wait one or two seconds before talking.
This lets the transmitter come up to full power, and the receiving radio to wake up.

Speak slowly and clearly, in a normal tone of voice.
The recipient is probably trying to write down what you say, so don't talk too fast. Shouting into the microphone will only distort your signal, making it harder to understand. Most microphones are very sensitive so hold them at least a hand width from your mouth.

Identify the station you are calling, then yourself.
For example,"SAR Base, this is Team Bravo." Or, simply, "SAR Base, Team Bravo."

Pause before replying.
After the other operator has ended his/her transmission with 'Over,' wait one or two seconds before pressing the PTT. This will allow someone else with something more important to interrupt.

Other people can't see what you are looking at.
This may seem obvious, but you'll often hear someone on the radio say, "I see a signal to my left." More useful would be, "I see a signal to the south east." Even better is, "I see a signal mirror approximately 2 km away at a bearing of 120 degrees true. My location is UTM 062352."

Acknowledge receipt of messages or instructions.
Remember that the other station can't see you. Suppose you receive "Team Bravo, this is Search Base, return to base, over" and your team simply turns around and heads back. Base will not know if you received the message. If you reply "Search Base, Team Bravo, wilco, out," base will know what you are doing. (Also, since base ended their transmission with 'over,' they are expecting a reply.)

Don't assume, specify.
Don't assume the other station knows something about the search, or Foothills SAR procedures. For example, ground SAR uses true bearings, UTM coordinates, and the maps usually use the NAD83 datum. Aviation SAR uses magnetic compass bearings, latitude & longitude, and NAD27 datum maps. This can cause a location to be several hundred metres off, and headings to be 20 degrees out.

Keep an eye on your radio.
It's easy to turn the volume down or change channels. The speaker microphones can unplug, or batteries die. If an unusual length of time passes with no radio traffic, check your radio. Many radios have a "lock" function, use it if possible. It's also possible that something is pressing on the microphone, thereby transmitting, and blocking the channel. This is especially likely to happen by accident if the radio is clipped to your pack, and, when taking a break, the pack is lying on the ground.

You may be in the position of relaying radio messages, such as instructions from the hospital to a paramedic. Therefore, the most important aspect is to clearly copy the words, even if you don't understand their meanings. It also means that you aren't always authorized to say that you will follow the instructions.
Here are some of the words and phrases that have specific meanings.

Affirmative and Negative
'Yes' and 'no' are such short words that they may be lost in static, so 'affirmative' and 'negative' are used instead.
Break The word BREAK has several meanings:
1. To separate parts of a message.
E.g., "Base, this is Team Bravo relaying for Team Echo. BREAK. We are proceeding west to rendezvous with Team Charlie. Over." Only Echo is proceeding west, Bravo is only passing on the message.

2. To separate messages in a single transmission.
E.g., "... Team Bravo continue your search. BREAK. Team Foxtrot return to base. BREAK. Team Echo stand by for new coordinates."

3. To indicate the station calling has traffic of a higher priority than the current conversation.
E.g., "Base, this is Team Bravo. Should we take our supper break now?" "BREAK." The team calling 'break' needs to report finding a victim with a broken leg, obviously a higher priority.
Existing conversation should cease immediately, one of the stations (probably Base) should reply with something like "This is Base, go ahead BREAKing station." Any other station listening should pay attention in case the message is for them, or they can help.
Pausing between transmissions makes room for calls like this.

4. BREAK, BREAK or BREAK EMERGENCY
Station breaking has high priority traffic. Existing conversation must stop immediately. The station that has been transmitting should acknowledge the breaking station by saying something like "This is Base, go ahead BREAK EMERGENCY." All other stations must stand by and listen, in case they are in a position to assist.
I Spell You may want to emphasize or clarify your message by spelling it out phonetically. E.g., "Base, Team Echo. His name is Geoff Smyth, I spell Gulf Echo Oscar Foxtrot Foxtrot, Sierra Mike Yankee Tango Hotel, over."
Message received or Message acknowledged
You have received the message clearly. This does not mean you understood it, or that the instructions will be followed. (See 'wilco,' below.)
Message understood Similar to above, but you are also saying you understand the message. Again, though, it doesn't mean that the instructions will be followed. (See 'wilco,' below.)
No Duff Transmitting 'NO DUFF' means that whatever follows is real, not part of training or any exercise. If you hear this during a training exercise, stop everything and stand by for instructions from someone in charge.
Out Say this when you are finished your transmission, and do not need or expect the other station to say anything.
Over Say this when you are finished speaking, and it is now the other station's turn to speak. It lets the other station know it is their turn, and lets everyone else know that this conversation isn't finished. (Therefore the classic "over and out" is contradictory.)
Pan or
Mayday Used for declaring emergencies. The term is said three times. 'Pan Pan Pan' indicates a crisis that is not life-threatening, while 'Mayday Mayday Mayday' signifies 'grave and imminent danger.' Hopefully you will never hear these. Mayday comes from the French M'aidez meaning 'help me.'
Repeat DO NOT USE! Use 'say again' instead. In the military, 'repeat' instruct the artillery to fire repeatedly. While we aren't likely to be working with that branch of the military, the potential hazard makes it worth avoiding this word.
Return To Base or
RTB or
Romeo Tango Bravo Although this is pretty obvious, you may need to know that RTB is said as Romeo Tango Bravo in the phonetic alphabet.
Say again or
I say again Self-explanatory. Used instead of 'Repeat.'
Standby Please wait for the reply or next transmission. If base transmits, "All stations, this is base. All stations standby," everyone should wait. It does not mean that you can use the silence to try to send your message.
Wilco Short for 'will comply.' This means that the instruction(s) will be carried out.
Words Twice You can ask another station to send 'words twice.' You can also tell another station you are sending this way. When comminications are static- or fade-prone, saying each word twice is more effective than repeating the whole message. Feels and sounds weird, but is very effective. E.g., "Base Base, Team Team Alpha Alpha is is Romeo Romeo Tango Tango Bravo Bravo. Please Please acknowledge acknowledge. Over Over." Writing your message down before transmitting is advisable.

You can also check the Industry Canada website, where they have several "Radiocommunications Information Circulars" (also known as RICs). RIC-21, study guide for the aeronautical radio certificate, explains and gives many examples of proper protocol. (strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwGeneratedInterE/h_sf06073e.html

If you live elsewhere, contact your local radio emergency group. In North America, contact the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), or Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) group.

Foothills SAR's primary handheld radios are Icom's model IC-F3S. Because the keys (or buttons) on these radios can be programmed to perform a wide variety of functions, the labels have no meaning. Most buttons have two functions, one if you press the key, another if you press the key and hold it down for one second.

If you don't understand a function, ask one of the members of the Telecommuncations Committee (a.k.a. antenna heads). The IC-F3 radios (with numeric keypad) are programmed identically.