Logging & ICS Message Forms
The documentation a radio operator lives by — ICS-205, 213, 214, 309 — and the Date-Time Group.
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Your real product is the log
On an incident, a radio operator's most important output isn't talk — it's an accurate, timed record of what was passed. If it isn't written down, it didn't happen. Formal traffic gets written before it's sent and as it's received, with a sender, an addressee, a timestamp, and initials. A message is only useful if it reaches the right addressee. Confirm the TO before you transmit.
The ICS forms a radio operator touches
All-hazards incidents run on standard ICS forms so any agency can read them. As a radio operator you'll work with a handful constantly:
- ICS-205 — Incident Radio Communications Plan: the frequency and talkgroup assignments for the operational period. Built by the Communications Unit Leader; you operate from it.
- ICS-205A — Communications List: the contact directory (who, on what method).
- ICS-213 — General Message: formal traffic, especially anything that can't be passed cleanly by voice.
- ICS-214 — Activity Log: notable events and actions, kept by staff throughout the operational period.
- ICS-309 — Communications Log: the station log of radio and phone activity, kept at the position.
The Date-Time Group (DTG)
Time on the air and on the forms is recorded as a Date-Time Group in Zulu (UTC), shown by the 'Z'. Forms break it into day, hour, month, and year. Using Zulu means stations and agencies in different time zones never disagree about when something happened. Convert local to Zulu before you log it, and double-check around midnight when the date rolls over.