HF International Emergency Operating Procedure

1. General
Amateur radio is one of the radio communication services set up by the International Telecommunication Union. In all these services emergency traffic has absolute priority over their normal operation.

Emergency operation requires an efficient forwarding of traffic. Efficiency of communication is not self-evident in amateur radio so each operator has to think about how he should react in case of emergency and should obtain as much preparedness as possible.

2. Measures in case of emergency

If you hear the word "emergency", "welfare-traffic" or the abbreviation QUF - stop transmitting and listen.

If you receive such traffic - stand by, observe it and write down all you hear.
don't leave the frequency before you are sure that you cannot help and somebody is helping.

Don't transmit before you are sure that you can help.
Follow the instructions the traffic controlling station (if there is one) is giving you. The traffic is controlled by the station in emergency or the station appointed by the station in emergency.

Keep messages short - don't transmit useless information.

In case of interference by other stations, the traffic controlling station or other stations appointed by it should transmit the word "emergency", "welfare-traffic","stop sending" or the abbreviation QUF to the interfering station....read on

Ham Radio Emergency Ops