17th May 2006

 

 

 

Subject:                 REVISED CFARS EEI Message Format [Part ONE]

 

References:          CFARS EEI Message Format [Part ONE] (issued 15 Dec 2005) [CANCELLED]

 

 

 

[1]        In a review conducted of the major agency’s communication procedures within North America it has been determined that the Essential Elements of Information [EEI] format as published in Reference does not conform with those (primary interest) agencies. Therefore, members are directed to CANCEL IN TOTAL our original ‘Release ONE’ (dated 15 Dec 05) and utilize this issue as the (Revised) CFARS EEI Message Format [Part ONE].

 

 [2]       In a concentrated effort to align our system to be in concert with other agencies currently supporting ‘Home Land Security’ throughout North America, all members are encouraged to become fully familiar in the preparation and handling of EEI traffic. This release outlines the various components within the basic Essential Elements of Information [EEI] message format.

 

[3]        There are only two levels for message handling precedence. Actual or ‘NODUF’ traffic will always be PRIORITY and all other traffic for training and exercises will be assigned ROUTINE.

 

[4]        CFARS has adopted the Event Identifiers [EI] currently utilized by the American FEMA, MARS and similar agencies. The EI list is Attachment ‘A’ and members are requested to destroy any other listings if not identical.

 

[5]        The following layouts describe the ‘Exercise’ and ‘Actual’ EEI message formats. Note that we (CFARS) now indicate the geographical location immediately following the call sign in the header of messages. The use of the ‘ZEN’ indicates that those addressees that have been protected via other means. (refer to CFARS Comm Instructions Manual).

 

 

[6]        Layout of EEI (Exercise) format;

 

            DE CIW681 NR001

            R 171755Z MAY 06

            FM CIW681 TRENTON ON

            TO CIW214 SIDNEY BC

                        CIW516 WINNIPEG MB

                        ZEN\PSEPC GOC OTTAWA ON

            INFO ZEN\CIW65 TRENTON ON

            BT

            CFARS EXERCISE/EEI

            1.         REF:  [Event Identifier from EI listing App ‘A’]

A.                 [Date and time of incident and location by town, city or wide area]

B.                 [Status of emergency medical facilities as OPERATIONAL, DAMAGED, DESTROYED or NEEDED.]

C.                 [Status of local transportation facilities to indicate roads, bridges, railways and airports as OPEN, RESTRICTED, CLOSED, DAMAGED, DESTROYED.  This info required so officials can arrange getting assistance into the affected area.]

D.                [General description of damage with exact location(s) to include major structures (Gov. bldgs\schools\commercial prop\residences etc.)]

E.                 [Status of Utilities such as gas, water, power and sanitation systems as OPERATIONAL, DAMAGED, DESTROYED, or NEEDED]

F.                  [Status of commercial communication facilities such as landline and cell phones, radio and TV stns to identify OPERATIONAL, DAMAGED, UNAVAILABLE]

G.                [Indicate your source of information with name of official and agency, the radio or TV stn call sign etc.]

H.                [Remarks to include expected changes or amplification to any of the above para’s and possibly expected time of your next report]

            CFARS EXERCISE/EEI

            BT

 

            NNNN

           

               

 

[7]        Layout of EEI Actual (NODUF) format;

 

 

            DE CIW681 NR001

            P 171755Z MAY 06

            FM CIW681 TRENTON ON

            TO CIW214 SIDNEY BC

                        CIW516 WINNIPEG MB

                        ZEN\ PSEPC GOC OTTAWA ON

            INFO ZEN\CIW65 TRENTON ON

            BT

            ACTUAL EVENT/EEI

1.                  REF: [Event Identifier from EI listing App ‘A’]

A.                 [Elements A. thru H. are the same content as the exercise format in Para [6] above].

/

/

H.

ACTUAL EVENT/EEI

BT

 

NNNN

 

 

[8]        Paragraphs or elements that have no report or bearing on the situation will be identified with the phrase “NOT AFFECTED”.

 

[9]        To enable control and tracking of all traffic, receiving stations would log this message on their ‘IN’ control register utilizing the ‘FM’ line and the date-time-group. (i.e. “CIW681 171755Z”) Therefore any service message, tracking or follow-up information required would then utilize these two components for message identification. Stations must obviously ensure that they do not duplicate date-time-groups when originating messages.

 

[10]      Members are urged to visit the various MARS\FEMA web sites and peruse their communication procedures and information. The basic concepts within all services are pretty much identical but there will be minor variations required by CFARS to support our specific requirements. Three such sites are available at URL’s http://usafmars.tripod.com/eeitng3.pdf http://www.navymars.org/pacific/reg10/eei.htm and http://www.sirinet.net/~mars/essential_elements_of_EEI.htm .

 

[11]      Questions, corrections or comments pertaining to training releases may be directed to CIW681.

 

APPENDIX “A”                               

 

CFARS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION

EVENT IDENTIFIERS

 

AIR CRASH                                                    FALLEN STAR

AIRBORNE POISON GAS                            POISON AIR

BIOLOGICAL EVENT                                   BAD BUG

BOMBING INCIDENT                                  LOUD BANG

BRIDGE DAMAGE/LOSS                              LOST SUPPORT

CHEMICAL SPILL                                         POISONED GROUND

CIVIL UNREST\RIOT                                    BAD MAGIC

DAMAGING HAIL                                         FALLING ICE

DAMAGED\BLOCKED ROAD                     BLOCKED LANE

EARTHQUAKE                                              ROLLING THUNDER

FLOOD                                                           TALL WATER

GROUND/FOREST FIRE                               SCORCHED GROUND

GAS LEAK/EXPLOSION                              HOT AIR

HEAVY WINDS                                             MIGHTY WIND

HURRICANE                                                  HOWLING WIND

ICY ROADS                                                   BLACK ICE

MAJOR COMMUNICATION FAILURE      LOST COMM

NUCLEAR                                                      NUCLEAR GRAYSTONE

OIL SPILL (IN WATER)                                DARK WATER

POWER OUTAGE                                          DARK DAY

SEARCH AND RESCUE                                SECURE HAVEN

SEISMIC SEA WAVE                                    TSUNAMI

SHIP WRECK/INCIDENT                             DEEP SEA

TERRORIST THREAT                                    HIDDEN SHADOW

TORNADO                                                     VIOLENT TWISTER

TRAIN WRECK\DERAILMENT                   BROKEN TRACKS

UTILITIES OUTAGE                          DIM LIGHT

VOLCANO                                                     BRAZEN BRIMSTONE

WATER DAM BREAK                                   FAST WATER

WINTER SNOW STORM                              WHITE BLANKET

 

COMM SUPPORT ROLE IDENTIFIERS

                       

          FEDERAL GOV SUPPORT (CAN)               FED LINK

            PROVINCIAL GOV SUPPORT (CAN)         PROV LINK

            FEMA SUPPORT (US)                                   FEDERAL RESPONSE

            JCS SUPPORT (US)                                       JOINT LIONS

            NATIONAL GUARD\RESERVES (US)         CIVIL COVER

            NCM SUPPORT (US)                                    TOP COVER

            NDMS SUPPORT (US)                                  MEDICAL LINK

                SHARES SUPPORT (US)                             COMMON FORT