Red Cross Comm

Special Event Station K6OG

ARC Communications Response Vehicle (CRV)

The American Red Cross was given 8 Ford Excursion by the Ford Motor Company for use in Disaster Services in the Spring of 2000 as a result of efforts by the ARC Southeastern Michigan Chapter in Detroit, MI. These vehicles have been designated for Disaster Communications and will have all the leading edge technologies in communications on board.

These vehicles will be placed strategically around the United States for fast response in times of need. As the Red Cross is the Congressionally mandated agency to act in times of disaster to help ease the suffering caused by disaster, these vehicles will be a great resource when normal modes of communications fail.

Each vehicle is designed to support both Red Cross Disaster Relief communications, and the specialized communications of public safety agencies including fire departments, police departments, FEMA, Civil Air Patrol, search and rescue, FBI, and many others.

The communication equipment on-board include:

Front console

IC 706 MK II-G

Bendix-King EMV (460 UHF)

Vertex FTL1011BH/99
Bendix-King GMH (150 VHF)

BC780 XLT Scanner

Midland 79-290 CB
Cell phone, LEO satellite
Cell phone, conventional
Cell phone, NexTel

Operator’s console

RELM Plus (400 UHF)

Bendix-King EMV (460 UHF)
Bendix-King GMH (150 VHF)
Vertex FTL1011BH/99
BC780 XLT Scanner
ICOM Aircraft Band Radio
Motorola Micom 2E
Kenwood TS-2000
VSAT satellite system
SGC SmartPowerCube 500W RF amplifier
SGC SmarTuner Antenna tuner
Datron DSS system
Davis Weather Station
JPS radio switch and phone patch system
Toshiba VCR
Kantronics 98 TNC

Roof deck

16 assorted radio antennas, mounted
storage under roof deck for additional antennas and mast sections
A 52' pneumatic mast with N-type RF runs
Yaesu antenna rotator
Pan-Tilt remote control camera
Datron automatic deployment DSS dish
AMSC satellite phone antenna
Davis weather station
12 NMO mounts
AVL technologies Vsat dish
Mosley TA-33 Jr. Tri-band HF Yagi

Left outside compartment (aka I/O Panel)

12VDC
3 antenna connections
F-type connections for external V-sat dish
DSS out
Broadcast TV in
eight analog phone lines in (connect to PSTN)
eight analog phone lines out (VoIP from Vsat)
Six network connections
Mast controls
2 120vac GFCI outlets

LEFT Side

SGC 1.8 - 30 MHz. 9' HF Whip

Under the hood

8kw AuraGen engine driven generator

There is also provisions for 10 wireless laptops and telephones to be installed at a later date.

The radios can be programmed for operation on any public safety frequency.

The JPS interconnect system enables the vehicle to operate as a "cross band" repeater between any two radio systems. This means that, for example, two independent fire districts could be dynamically linked together during an emergency situation. Several governments in the U.S. have adopted this approach to linking normally disconnected organizations - without the expense of replacing large radio systems to provide common communications frequencies.

There will be three of these vehicle on the West coast - Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA and Spokane, WA. Phoenix has just received their unit (CRV- 3701) for use in communication support of the Grand Canyon Chapter's operations. (Picture below)

The other units will be arriving at their home chapters in the near future.

(Click on picture for full size image)
Tyler Schefter, American Red Cross national headquarters Disaster Communications employee delivering CRV 3701 to the Grand Canyon Chapter, Phoenix, AZ, 3 Aug 2002. (ARC Photo by Gary Niki - KC7TNU)


Above pictures by: Ken Dahl, K7TAG

For more pictures of the individual consoles and equipment, Click here.