Due to COVID 19 concerns and restrictions, the Board cancelled this conference to comply with state and federal guidelines regarding large gatherings. Feel free to check back here for updates. Any ERC Conference information will be posted here. We do not know when or where the next ERC Conference will be.
Download ERC_Message_Form_Rev3.5 (revised Oct 2012) -->Click Here
Download a Sample of Message Form 3.2 Filled out and ready to be transmitted --> Click Here
Download ERC_Message_Log_Rev3.0 --> Click Here
Download ERC_Household_Survey_Rev1.0 --> Click Here
SHAKE OUT QUESTION from ERC Reps: We have a question regarding the form we should use. The past few years we have used the "Stakes by Storehouse Region Master Disaster Report" for this drill. This year we received that same form, plus the "ERC_Message_Form_Rev3.2.pdf" Information is pretty much the same, with more info on the ERC Message form. Do you have a preference on which form our wards and stake use for this drill? If we use the ERC Message form, should we report information only in the bold-lined boxes (1,2,3,8,9,10,12,13) or do you want all lines of information? |
ANSWER: The Colton ERC Command Center at the Colton Storehouse will be standing by and taking radio traffic and writing down information directly on to the ERC_Message_Form_Rev3.2.pdf. For this exercise we request only the Quick Report items (1,2,3,8,9,10,12,13). Colton ERC Staff will then take the information from the message forms and compile it onto the "Stakes by Storehouse Region Master Disaster Report" for later transmission via HF Radio to ERC Headquarters in SLC.
We recommend that ERC Reps become accustomed to using the message form rather than just the large disaster report. As you can imagine, trying to compress detail onto the long list of Units will become impossible and reports will get confused and mixed up. The message form has the necessary room to take information on the fly. The large disaster report is simply a means of giving a quick look at the extent of damages over our large Southern California Area. Areas hardest hit will be easy to see. Priesthood leaders who will have to make quick decisions will be able to see a Quick Snap Shot of what's going on and which Units have been impacted the most. |
We further recommend that both Stake and Ward ERC reps print out multiple copies of the message form so that they can pass inner Stake / Ward traffic clearly. It's not necessary to fill in each box every time. Let the form be a tool to help ERC volunteers remember what kind of information might be important to collect. We all don't know how we will react during a very stressful event. Sometimes a form can aid in organizing a stressed person's mind and help them function. |
We hope this helps answer some of the questions that have been going around |
Q: What is ERC?
A: Emergency Radio Communications
ERC is the organization that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints uses for emergency communication between Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City and the various Stake leaders. The organization involves Stake Emergency Communications Specialists in a specific region having the ability to communicate emergency traffic to a regional station which maintains the necessary equipment and operators to communicate with the Stake officers as well as other regional stations and possibly Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City.
Q: I am a new Stake Emergency Communications Specialist. How can SCIRA help me?
A: SCIRA holds weekly nets each Sunday night.
A "net" is where one representative makes any announcements, then calls out to each unit (radio term for stake) for their representative to respond. This helps us check our communications capabilities and gives us practice communicating while taking appropriate turns. Visitors are welcome to check-in after the regular roll call.
Repeaters (Radio linked):
For those outside the coverage areas, W6CTR-R is up and running on Echolink.
Nets Schedule:
We also offer a forum to share information among other local communications specialists on best practices. In all cases, your local unit authorities will have the final decision on policies, our resources are offered as optional additional support.
Q: My Stake doesn't have an Emergency Communications Plan. How can we start?
A: Contact your local unit leaders
Tell your local leaders that you would like to become involved in Emergency Radio Communications and the ERC. Tell them about SCIRA and this web site and the resources that are available here. Follow their guidance and counsel.