What We Do

An Introduction

Who we are?

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 have we 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 include: Lockerbie disaster, missing person in Staffordshire Moorlands, Rickerscote train crash, fire watching on Cannock Chase

We have also provided safety communications for large-scale community events, such as:

Le Grand Depart (2014 Tour de France)
Long Distance Walkers Association 100-mile events
Many charity cycle rides, fun runs and community events
Long-distance walks and orienteering
Endurance horse rides
Fire watch in vulnerable areas during extreme weather

And many more different events,

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.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Local Authority Emergency Planning/Resilience Officers
Any health authority
Any government department
British Red Cross
St John Ambulance
St Andrew’s Ambulance Association
RVS
Salvation Army
Any utility service

What do we do?

We can provide a flexible communications service for major civil emergencies or related exercises and local community events.

How do we do it?

RAYNET volunteers normally use their own equipment to provide communications. Voice transmissions are the norm, but

messages in the form of data transmissions are being increasingly used.

In some areas, the use of vehicle-tracking systems and MESH networking can also be provided.

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.

Groups are supported by a County/Regional, Zonal and National structure.

All registered members of RAYNET-UK whilst on duty are covered by "Public Liability" & "Employers Liability" insurance, together with Personal Accident Insurance under

policies held nationally.

How do we train?

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 and throughout the year, 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 can offer additional flexible communication links to complement established systems

Members come from a variety of backgrounds and bring with them a wide range of skills, knowledge and expertise.

Established local contacts

A national 24hr emergency contact telephone number (030 30 40 10 80)

North Staffordshire RAYNET Group 2024

Volunteer communications in

support of the community