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What is RAYNET?
Raynet is almost an acronym; It stands for Radio Amateurs' EmergencY NETwork.
RAYNET is the UK’s national voluntary communications service provided for the community by licensed radio amateurs.
The organisation was formed in 1953 following the East Coast floods, when radio amateurs provided emergency communications.
What do we do?
We can provide a flexible communications service for major civil emergencies or related exercises and for local community events.
What has RAYNET done?
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. Examples around the UK include:
Lockerbie air crash
Severn Tunnel incident
Town flooding, North Wales
Portland WWII bomb evacuation
Sea Empress oil pollution disaster
We have also provided safety communications for large-scale community events, such as:
London Marathon
Mildenhall Air Fete
Great North Run/Great South Run
Many charity cycle rides
Long-distance walks and orienteering events
Endurance horse rides
How do we do it?
In addition to any equipment owned by individual Groups, RAYNET volunteers use their own equipment to provide radio 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.
Whom do we do it for?
RAYNET, under the terms of the amateur radio licence, is permitted to pass messages on behalf of:
• Any UK Police force, Fire & Rescue service or Ambulance trust
• HM Coastguard
• Local Authority Emergency Planning Officers
• Any health authority
• Any government department
• British Red Cross
• St John Ambulance
• St Andrew’s Ambulance Association
• WRVS
• Salvation Army
• Any utility service
How are we organised?
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.
Local groups are supported by a Kent County Raynet and all groups in Kent are affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britian.
All registered members of Raynet Emergency Network whilst on duty are covered by ‘Public Liability’ insurance. 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 throughout the year and to carry out training to nationally agreed standards.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.
What can we offer?
In times of major civil emergency, existing communications can become rapidly overloaded.
RAYNET offers:
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
A national 24hr emergency contact telephone number.
How do you contact us?
If you would like further information on RAYNET:
Local South Kent Chairman is John Wellard M0ZAA. 19 South Motto, Ashford. Kent 01233 503050 email
South Kent Raynet Website www.southkentraynet.fsnet.co.uk
Information on this page taken from South Kent, and Kent County Raynet Pages.
Updated Feb 2006
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