WICEN Australia.

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WICEN is the emergency service arm of Amateur Radio, providing communications support during times of civil emergency (eg fire, flood and storms) to primary emergency services such as the Police and SES, as well as providing safety communications to public events (eg car rallies, bike rides etc.).

What is WICEN?

WICEN's full name is Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network

In each state WICEN is composed of volunteer operators from the Amateur Radio service who are trained in communications and message handling techniques.

WICEN can rapidly establish communication networks within a State or territory, and has the capability to extend these communications throughout Australia and overseas through the use of various equipment and operating frequencies.

In most states, WICEN is run by a sub-committee of the Wireless Institute of Australia. In NSW and Victoria, WICEN are separately incorporated organisations.

The trained WICEN operator core is available to the appropriate authorities and, in a larger emergency, would act as a nucleus allowing the total Amateur Radio population to be put to use in a coordinated manner.

Training is assisted by WICEN involvement in the provision of safety communications for Public Sporting events such as the various Car Rallies throughout the State (including Rally Queensland), Cycle Events such as the Bicycle Qld.Ride, Horse Endurance Rides and many other community events. In this way WICEN members maintain an involvement in community service.

WICEN is moving towards a national training syllabus designed to set standards for operating procedures and for operations management.

WICEN and ER (Emergency Response) Communications Agencies

The control and coordination of all emergency operations depends on adequate and reliable communications. In times of emergency an agency's usual communication facilities, particularly telephone systems and mobile phones, require supplementation. In most state and territory Disaster Plans, the police are responsible for coordinating the emergency response of all other agencies, and are the primary provider of support communications to other agencies in an emergency.

WICEN is one of the several agencies responsible for supporting and assisting the Police with the provision of communications systems to other emergency agencies. In each state, although largely volunteer based, the emergency service organisations are very professional. In most cases these volunteers must meet training standards accredited by the states.

WICEN's Role

WICEN's ER role is to provide:

At present the expected role of WICEN includes the provision of supplementary radio communications for:

WICEN adopts the professional attitude to its operations that is expected by the agencies and groups to whom we provide services.

WICEN Frequencies

WICEN call frequencies are 3.600, 7.075, 10.115, 14.125, 18.150, and 21.190, 24.950, 28.450, 53.150, 146.550 (voice), 145.200 (packet), 438.800 (v or p), 433.800 (v or p), 1294.800 and 2425.800 MHz.

Portable Repeaters

On 2 metres, we still do not have a national WICEN repeater channel. The closest we get to it is 147.175 MHz, and is therefore suggested as the main national WICEN channel. The frequencies 147.125 and 147.150 MHz are WICEN channels for NSW and Queensland uses 147.125, 147.150 and 147.175 MHz, whilst 146.925 and 147.300 MHz are used by Victoria.

On 70 cm, the long established WICEN channels are 438.275 and 438.625 MHz. The latest band plan adds two more, 439.925 and 439.975 MHz. The WICEN repeater pairs on 23 cm are 1273/1293.650 and 1273/ 1293.750 MHz. Refer Frequency List

What's in it for me?

Amateur Radio operators are practised communicators, with the technical skills required to install and operate radio equipment.

WICEN provides opportunities to apply these skills in community service, as well as providing an enjoyable pastime in the company of other amateurs.

WICEN also gives members the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills. These include comms centre operation, map reading, and leadership, as well as the installation and use of portable facilities such as packet radio, voice repeaters and HF.

WICEN Contact Addresses

WICEN can be contacted by writing to:
The State Coordinator, WICEN [state],
ACT: PO Box 600, ACT 2601;
NSW: PO Box 123, St Leonards NSW 2065
VIC: PO Box 106, Mitcham Vic 3132
QLD: PO Box 192 Buddina QLD 4575
SA: PO Box 1234, Adelaide SA 5001
WA: 14 Henley Rd Mt Pleasant WA 6062
TAS: 34 Victor Pl. MONTROSE TAS 7010
NT: PO Box 40441 Casuarina NT 0811

WICEN Callsigns

Abbreviated callsigns may be heard from time to time, as allowed by the licensing authority. All operators are either licensed amateurs or, as with all amateur stations, under the direct supervision of a licensed amateur.

The callsign block VK?WIA to VK?WIZ has been reserved for the use of the WIA and WICEN and Radio Clubs/Groups.
However, quite often the operators use their Club callsign or their own personal callsign.

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(Source- WIA Callbook 2005)