COURSE & COMMEX DESCRIPTIONS

 

Radio 100 for Beginners Course (2 hrs)

Basics of public-safety radios.  Understanding basic concepts of radio will help those with little or no radio experience to operate effectively during incidents, events, and exercises when they may be given responsibilities that require them to use a radio.  Carrying a radio, basic operation, conserving battery power, radio etiquette and discipline, how to communicate effectively using a radio, radio safety, priorities, emergencies, and MAYDAYs, additional radio training and exercise, and basic support resources for incident communications will be presented.

 

NOTE:  This course is still considered “preliminary”, and whether we will be able to continue to offer it going forward will depend on interest, enrollment, and feedback from initial offerings.  OSU-FST and CLEET continuing education credit is still being worked out for Radio 100 and may not yet be available for initial offerings.

 

Radio 101 for Responders Course (2 hrs)

Basics of public-safety radio systems and interoperability in Oklahoma.  Understanding basic concepts helps responders stay connected in areas of poor system coverage.  Portables vs. mobiles vs. bases vs. repeaters, strengths/weaknesses of various frequency bands, analog vs. digital, conventional vs. trunked systems, in-system signaling/toning, mutual-aid frequencies and other interoperability assets, and smartphone radio apps will be discussed. ICS best practices and associated assignment of tactical communications resources will be presented.

 

Talkaround Commex (2 hrs)

Familiarizes players with checking out cache radios at an incident, using unfamiliar radios effectively, breaking the ice, handling problems that can crop up with cache radio use in the field, and returning radios as a part of demobilization.  Cache radios will be provided.  Best paired with Radio 100.

 

Bring Your Own Radios Commex (2 hrs)

Familiarizes players with their own radios, ensures that they have the right interoperability channels, that they’re programmed correctly, that they know how to access them, and to break the ice talking on their radios.  This can involve portable radios, mobile radios, or both.  Best paired with Radio 101.