TO:    ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
       ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM:  KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
       WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED

WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 15.01          DATE: January 4, 2015
SUBJECT: ADDRESS YOUR MESSAGES PROPERLY

When you are sending any message, be sure to address it properly. One of the main parts of an address is the precedence.  The precedence of a message is how important it is.  The precedence of the ARRL RADIOGRAM are: EMERGENCY, PRIORITY, WELFARE, and ROUTINE, from highest to lowest in that order.  An EMERGENCY message is one of having to do with life and death urgency to any person or group of persons. PRIORITY messages have to do with specific time limits.  WELFARE messages are either an inquiry of, or advisory of, the health and/or welfare of an individual in a disaster area.  ROUTINE messages are the lowest priority of all the messages, and are just what they say, they are routine, every day messages.

Most of the messages that you will handle will be routine.  If you are sending a message, be sure you address it with the proper precedence, so the person you are sending it to will handle it the way it needs to be.

There's a story about a message that wasn't handled with the proper precedence to the RMS Titanic.  Since the message wasn't addressed with the precedence of "MSG", which at that time was an EMERGENCY message, it was never handled in time.  And you know the story of the Titanic.  The same thing happened on December 7th, 1945, when atmospheric conditions caused radio bands to be a problem, that a telegram was sent to Washington warning them of the attack.  But because the telegram wasn't addressed as "URGENT", the telegram wasn't delivered until after the attack was over.

So be sure that you address any messages that you are handling with the proper precedence.

(Idea for this bulletin from Bill Davidson, N8JXO)

Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV