What is a Communications Plan?

When communicating in small groups of four or fewer, a structure is not particularly needed.  However, when multiple teams work together on a larger incident, and those teams must coordinate with other emergency response organizations, we need a plan.

A communications plan is a document that defines communications roles and establishes protocols for different groups during an emergency.  Each community or jurisdiction will have its own communications plan.

Explain that CERTs also have a communications plan.  The CERT Communications Plan is a function of the jurisdictional communications plan, and includes details such as how CERT volunteers are contacted during an activation and what radio channels they have available for communication.

Claremont Police Communications Plan

A community or jurisdictional communication plan is defined by the local or regional office of emergency management.  It defines what organizations use what radio channels in the event of an emergency.  It also establishes clear rules for who can communicate with whom.  These are necessary logistical rules in order to ensure that communications channels are not flooded and responders are not drowned in irrelevant chatter, and that communications lines are open and available when they are needed.

Claremont provides the same radio that is issued to it’s police officers to the CERT team. There are 3 police channels available on these radios. the first is PD Main. This channel is dedicated to the police department and CERT does not use this channel unless specifically directed to. EOC1 and EOC2 are the two channels that the CERT team will be using. Both of these channels are shared with Claremont PD and in an emergency situation CERT will have to use these channels per the communication plan. Claremont Park Rangers are on channel “CITY GOV” Most communications will be used to “report up” information to the police department, as such protocols are required to be followed. Please rember that even when using these radios for an exercise the Dispatcher will hear all communications, and by default all radio traffic is recorded.

Claremont CERT Communications Plan

Once an event occurs, be it an exercise or actual event you will report to the CERT command and check in. The CERT command center will have a communication plan posted for all members to view. It will be your responsibility to review the plan and based on your assigned position at check-in obtain the proper radio(s) and tune them in to the proper channels.

Click HERE to view a example Communications plan