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An introduction RAYNET

RAYNET (The Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network) is the UK’s national voluntary communications service provided for the community by licensed radio amateurs. We can provide a flexible communications service for major civil emergencies or related exercises and local community events. RAYNET has provided additional communications at major incidents involving aircraft, trains, flooding, evacuations, telephone exchange failures, missing persons searches, adverse weather, oil/chemical pollution etc.  We have also provided safety communications for large-scale community events

RAYNET volunteers normally use their own equipment to provide communications. Voice transmissions are the norm, but typed messages in the form of data transmissions are being increasingly used, allowing 100% accurate messages to be passed over both long and short distances.

In some areas, experimentation is also under way with the use of vehicle-tracking systems and amateur television.

RAYNET, under the terms of the amateur radio license, is permitted to pass messages on behalf of

British Red Cross St John Ambulance St Andrew's Ambulance Association Women’s Royal Voluntary Service Salvation Army any Government Department any ‘Category 1’ responder any Category 2 responder as defined in the Civil Contingencies Act (2004)

RAYNET the organisation 

RAYNET comprises a national network of local groups, who liaise with emergency services, local authorities and other voluntary agencies who could be involved in the integrated management response to major civil emergencies.

Groups are supported by a County/Regional, Zonal and National structure.

All registered members of Keighley RAYNET whilst on duty are covered by "Public Liability" & "Employers Liability" insurance. 

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RAYNET training

Groups work with the emergency services and local authority emergency planning units on both live exercises and table-top simulations. It is, of course, important to have “hands on” experience regularly and throughout the year RAYNET personnel provide additional safety communications for local fun runs, marathons, car rallies and a wide variety of events, whereby message passing, engineering skills and operational procedures can be tried and tested.

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When things go wrong

In times of major civil emergency, existing communications can become rapidly overloaded. RAYNET can offer:

• Additional flexible communication links to complement established systems

• Members who come from a variety of backgrounds and can bring with them a wide range of skills, knowledge and expertise

• Established local contacts