South County ARES: Equipment and Installations by City

Frequencies | Station Photos

Each city in the SCARES area has equipment to be used during practice and real emergency situations. Although the location may vary somewhat, the main communications station is usually at the police department or fire department. Equipment ranges from just an antenna drop to a station complete with multiple-band radio capability, packet radio, and computer/printer setup. The Emergency Coordinator (EC) for a particular city is responsible for equipment location and installation. For comments, suggestions, questions, or to report problems with a specific installation, contact the city's EC or leave a message on SCARES Voice Mail.

The following information shows some details about specific equipment locations in the cities serviced by SCARES. Special thanks to these communities for providing space and equipment!

A more complete source is the South County ARES Emergency Handbook. We strongly urge local mutual-aid ARES groups to download the South County ARES Handbook to have on hand for reference in a emergency.

Atherton See Menlo Park/Atherton below.

Belmont [Belmont EC] [Top]

Belmont City Hall
Belmont PD EOC, 2nd floor
1 Twin Pines Ln [map]
The amateur radio equipment is located in the very large EOC supply closet at the rear of the EOC room. There is a desk and two mounted radios. The power supply is under the desk. The amateur radio station consists of VHF and UHF voice radios . Hams wishing to do Monday night net using this station should call the Belmont EC for more information.

Tactical frequency: Belmont local repeater 147.09+ WB6CKT.
An agreement with a Belmont amateur for the use of his VHF repeater in an emergency gives excellent local coverage using hand-held low power radios.

All Belmont/San Carlos Fire stations and 3 public schools plus the district office in Belmont have 2 meter J-Pole antennas with cable drops to a convenient location so that a SCARES member can attach his/her radio to the cable and get good coverage when located inside the buildings. This preparation also allows amateurs to easily provide emergency communications for the Red Cross who will operate the designated local emergency shelters.

There is an antenna drop (2m J-pole) at the California Department of Forestry (CDF) (Belmont Fire, North Division) building on 20 Tower Road.

East Palo Alto [East Palo Alto EC] [Top]

East Palo Alto Police
2415 University Ave at Bay Road (Behind MacDonald's) [map]
Thomas Guide 38 B4
Large three story building. No antenna drop. No equipment is at this location. (See Menlo Park Fire Protection District.)

Foster City [Foster City EC] [Top]

Foster City Police
1030 East Hillsdale Blvd, Civic Center [map]
Thomas Guide 29A C5
Foster City local 145.64 simplex

Dispatch Center is located on the ground floor, north-west corner of the building. Enter through the front door and make your way to the center cubical area. In the north-east end of this area is a white cabinet and desk containing a dual band (2-440) radio with dual band antennas. A separate 2 m radio and antenna and PK-88 installed in a 386/33 computer with printer is for packet. A two meter handheld is also available. Manuals forms and parer are in the desk. Foster City also has a fully equipped s tationary and mobile EOC.

Menlo Park/Atherton [Menlo Park/Atherton EC] [Top]

Menlo Park PD
6/2015 There is a new radio in a locked case. Contact the EC for the combination lock code.

Menlo Park Surgical Hospital (formerly Recovery Inn Medical Center)
570 Willow Rd. (cross of Gilbert St.) [map]
Menlo Park
Thomas Guide 37 F5

2M/440 XCVR and Diamond X-50. There are no batteries there yet (although the Astron power supplies have a battery circuit). Equipment is in a locked cabinet in Accounting Dept. There are two coax cables: one unused; one with a 2m/440 splitter to the Diamond X-50. Facility has local generator.

Note: The primary ARES tactical frequency for Atherton and Menlo Park is 147.555 MHz

Atherton Police Department [Station Photos]
83 Ashfield Road, across from the train station [map]

Atherton P.D. has a grab-and-go emergency radio system consisting of a Kenwood VM-V7A (dual band mobile), Astron Power Supply, and 33 A.H. gell cell battery, mounted in a Pelican case. Contact Communications Supervisor John Mattes (KF6UQN) at the Police Department for access (650-688-6500).

Menlo School [After 5/1/99]
Menlo School has a grab-and-go emergency radio system in the same configuration as Atherton P.D. Contact Mr. Robin McGlohn (KF6SRI) at Menlo School for access (650-330-2001 x2286).

Portola Valley See Woodside/Portola Valley below.

Redwood City [Redwood City EC] [Top]

Redwood City Police
1301 Maple St. (east side of 101) [map]
Thomas Guide 36 F2
There is an amateur radio station in Redwood City PD headquarters which consists of VHF and UHF voice radios and a VHF Packet station (computer to computer via radio modem). An RS-232 serial line connects a computer in the EOC to the packet station. The ham room is adjacent to the lunch room on the second floor [enter lunch room, turn left, go to end of room].

SCARES owns and operates an amateur radio UHF repeater located on top of the Hall of Justice building in Redwood City. The frequency is 444.5+ MHz CTCSS=100 Hz.

San Carlos [Top]

Access to this station is restricted
Roll-around cart on 2nd floor of City Hall
600 Elm St (City Hall) [map]
Thomas Guide 33 C5
There is an amateur radio station in San Carlos City Hall which consists of VHF and UHF voice radios and a VHF Packet station (computer to computer via radio modem). The station equipment was re-located in the fall of 1999 to a closet in room 208 (next to the San Carlos EOC in room 207).

San Mateo (City of) [San Mateo EC] [Top]

This station was moved in 2009
San Mateo Police Department
San Mateo tactical: 145.65s PL 114.8
200 Franklin Parkway [map]
Thomas Guide 749 D5
There is an amateur radio station in the San Mateo PD, in the interview room next to the EOC. There are two dual-band (2m/70cm) Icom 2800H radios connected to two Diamond X50A dual-band antennas on the roof of the PD.

San Mateo County [San Mateo County DEC] [Top]

San Mateo County Area OES
401 Marshall St, Redwood City (near Winslow) [map]
Thomas Guide 36 F2
An amateur station is located in the basement of the Hall of Justice in the SMAOES offices. The equipment consists of two 2-meter and 440MHz voice radios

California Department of Forestry (CDF)
There is an antenna drop (2m J-pole) at the California Department of Forestry (CDF) (Belmont Fire, North Division) building on 20 Tower Road (near 92 and off Polhemus). [map]

Woodside/Portola Valley [Woodside/Portola Valley EC] [Top]

Police services are provided by San Mateo County Sheriff. There is no amateur equipment at Woodside facilities.

Portola Valley Town Hall
765 Portola Road [map]
Thomas Guide 47 A3
There is a 2 meter station there with battery power. There is a 2m antenna drop (Male UHF) in the south east corner of the main building.

SCARES area-wide frequencies: [Top]

The complete listing is in the San Mateo Sheriff's Office Ham Radio Frequency Plan Recommendation ( - by geographical area and - by frequency ) and in the South County ARES Emergency Handbook. We strongly urge local mutual-aid ARES groups to download the South County ARES Handbook to have on hand for reference in a emergency.



South County ARES
 
 


 
Primary
Resource/
444.500+100.0 
K6MPN


 
Secondary
Tactical
146.445s114.8
 


 

Alt. Tactical
146.580s114.8
 


Atherton
 
Tactical
147.555s114.8
 


Belmont
 
Tactical
147.090+
WB6CKT


Menlo Park
Tactical
147.555s114.8
 


Redwood City
Primary
Tactical
147.450s114.8
 


Redwood City
Secondary
Tactical
146.460s114.8
 


San Carlos
Primary
Tactical
147.405s114.8
 


 
Secondary
Tactical
146.415s114.8
 


Portola Valley
Tactical
146.430s114.8
 


Woodside

Tactical
146.430s114.8

Simplex frequencies may use PL 114.8 to reduce out of area traffic.


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