Operations

The HMC RACES unit has a dedicated radio room as part of the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC Radio Room enables the Emergency Operations Center to communicate with other Amateur Radio Stations throughout Madison County, and to link into the Madison County ARES and North Alabama SKYWARN nets. The EOC radio room is equipped with a wide variety of communications equipment, and allows HMC RACES to communicate locally (UHF and VHF) and world-wide (HF) if the need arises.

HMC RACES operates a repeater on 147.220/.820 pl 136.5 hz which carries the callsign of the repeater trustee K4RSB. The repeater is primarily intended for providing emergency communications upon the request of the HMC EMA, but may be utilized for normal amateur use when the RACES network is not activated for an emergency. Should this repeater fail the HMC RACES unit will use 146.940/.340 for emergency communications per an April 13, 1995 agreement between the HMC EMA and the North Alabama Repeater Association.

HMC RACES is called into action by the director of the Huntsville-Madison County EMA. The RACES unit coordinator contacts the members of the Advisory Board and the Advisory Board contacts the general membership.