This is the Butler County EMA Communicaitons Room. To the far right is a UHF radio for contact with the county engineers, Fire, Police and othe agencies in the county on UHF. The center radio is the Ohio Multi Agency Radio Communications System radio a.k.a. MARCS 800 MHz statewide trunking system. The radio on the left is a Kenwood TMD-700A which is the Amateur Radio Emergency Services / RACES radio network. The Computer is used to access the internet and interfaces to the Kenwood TMD-700 to support programming of the radio and digital modes like APRS, PACKET and Slow Scan TV.

The top left item is the CPU for our radio system. The unit to the far right is the device that puts out Emergency Alerts to all the TV and radio stations that serve the county. Pre-written emergency messages can be keyed into the system that fit a given situation and then by hitting the "SEND" button, simultaneously sends that information to all of the pre-programmed locations. There are also means of updating the written message for special alerts and even a microphone for doing voice announcements.

The work station and the radio remote control for the EMA 155.805 system.

A Kenwood TMD-700 is installed at the Butler County Sheriff's Office 911 center at one of the dispatching consoles for easy relay of vital information from one system to the other. A Kenwood TMD-700 is installed in the Butler County EMA Emergency Response trailer that also has communications for the county fire, police and EMA on both VHF and 800 trunking. Another Kenwood TMD-700 is installed in the Fairfield Fire Department Mobile Communicaitons and Command Post.

Butler County Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Center The Butler County VHF Association and the Butler County ARES/RACES team has a Memorandum of Understanding that allows ARES/RACES access to their three repeaters and their communication room located at the Butler Technology and Career Center. As part of the agreement, ARES/RACES will provide technical assistance, labor and submit equipment list needed to support emergency communications. There are four operators positions in all. The room is still under construction and is not yet complete.

Operator Position #1

OPS-1 will have 160-6 meter all mode 200 watt transceiver with a 1500 watt 160-6 meter power amplifier when needed. Using a 6 meter 5 element beam stacked above a 10-12-15-17-20 & 40 meter beam and utilizing dipoles on 80 & 160 meters. 3 positions will be equipped with ICOM IC-2820's for 144-440 analog and D-STAR communications, plus 220 analog & data.

Operator Position #2

Operator Position #3

OPS-3 is being assembled as the "Digital Communications" desk. You see the four computer monitors now, there are four more to be added (8 total) so we can monitor all the TNC's and data! What modes? APRS, Airmail local and statewide 145.010 & 145.770, PACKET local and regional, 220 MHz PACKET network on two systems, D-STAR 145.1600, 442.6250 and 1253.000 D-RATS, DSTAR TV, etc. On HF the plans are for a Timewave PK-232MBX-USB and a SCS PTC-II with PACTOR III software and license.

OPS-4 is being built to be the "Informational" desk. This position will be able to have two people working at it when completed. It too will have 4 computer screens 2 for each operator to prepare and display real time maps, WEB EOC directly from the agencies we work with, currant weather, event status, city web cams, ARTIMIS camera's, and other internet based data, photos, etc. on four big screen TV's that will be mounted over the top of OPS-1, OPS-2 and OPS-3. Radios at this station will include an ICOM IC-2820, JetStream JT 220, Yaesu FT-100 D and a county provided 700-900 MHz trunking radio that will link us to all county agencies on the local radio system and selected MARCS radio system users such as Police, Hospitals, Health Departments, Highway Patrol, etc.