To      : All Emergency Management Agencies
      From    : Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network
                Australia
      Information for inclusion in this fortnightly Bulletin
      should be sent by one of the following methods :-

      Postal  : WICEN, P.O. Box 106, Mitcham, Victoria, 3132
      InterNet: vk3tp@csource.oz.au
      FidoNet : Paul Walton @ 3:632/404
      Packet  : vk3ur@vk3bbs.vic.aus.oc
      Voice   : Paul Walton (03) 754-8646 (A.H)

WICEN.052        WICEN OPERATIONS - DISCUSSION PAPER        3/7/94 


WICEN Victoria

While  participating in a  few  exercises recently and having read and listened
to a few activation debriefs it became apparent to me that  people have 
different  perceptions  of the designations and functions of several areas of
WICEN Operations and Administration. In the article below I have set out  my
own perceptions so that it may become possible for some commonality of thought.


Nets, Net Control, AWI and WICEN management in Activations:

From the heading , I would say that almost everyone would say that all things
in  these areas  are well  known and understood.  Well,there is no harm in
revision is there ?

Stations :

A station is  usually  manned by at least two  people but there is usually
more.  The  exact number depends on the amount and type of traffic, the  number
of  frequencies to be used etc.  Each station in a net or nets will have a
specific, permanent (for the duration of the station)  callsign and  will have
a person in charge.  This person is normally termed the Senior Radio Officer
(SRO).

Nets :

A net can be  simply defined as a group of stations using the same frequency to
 pass information.  The  contents of the  information transferred  and to 
which stations is irrelevant.  It is possible for  any  or  all stations to be
in another or several other nets. All  of  these  other nets may be  for 
different purposes and the number  of stations on each net may vary from 2 to
several hundred and the transmission mode may vary as well.

It is  quite  usual for a field station to be on several different nets and to
also have different callsigns on each net.

Free or Uncontrolled Nets :

Where traffic density is low the stations are in a position  where they  can 
each  call  up  the  desired  station  direct  and pass information as and when
required.  No one station needs to control the use or timeliness of message
transmissions.

Directed Nets :

Where the traffic  requires  to be channelled through one specific station  to 
enable  it  to  be  actioned , or where the amount of traffic  on  the  net  is
 great  enough  to  require   regulation ( direction ) , then   one  station 
in  the  net   takes  on  the administrative  task  of  making  sure  that 
traffic  gets passed between  stations as  quickly and  efficiently as 
possible.  This station is called the Net Control Station.

Net Control Stations :

The task of a  Net Control Station (NCS) is  simply  to ensure the efficient
and effective transfer of information in a busy net. The NCS is  usually  also 
delegated  the  task of  ensuring that each station on the net is  sufficiently
resourced and, where there are many nets, is the only station that maintains
direct contact (as a member of a net on  another frequency)  with the region
(or state) WICEN administration.

VK3AWI (For Victoria) :

This callsign is reserved for the central  WICEN  Control Station. The station
at VK3AWI is that station which has the responsibility to DIRECT WICEN
operations in the field  i.e. in major activations its main purpose is to
direct the operations of WICEN stations and to  provide  the  necessary 
operators  and other resources in the field and it does not necessarily take or
receive any messages for any agency.

In a large  activation WICEN could have 200 operators in the field in, say, 75
stations which in turn comprise 15 nets.  Each net may have  a  net  control 
station  to  direct  net  operations if the frequency is crowded.  To be able
to  maintain WICEN operations in the  field  effectively  and  to  be  able to 
provide replacement operators and other resources efficiently it is necessary
to run a "WICEN Only"  operational net  between the 15 Net Control Stations and
 WICEN Command.

Any  DISPLAN  Agency  that wishes to use  WICEN would make contact with the
WICEN Commander and the Operations Cadre at VK3AWI.

This article concludes in the next Bulletin by looking at  WICEN's
administration and personnel management.

Leigh Baker
VK3TP
Federal WICEN Co-ordinator