SEPAR Operations

SEPAR plays an essential operational role in Surrey’s emergency preparedness strategy. Our volunteers are trained and equipped to provide resilient communications when traditional systems are unavailable, overloaded, or disrupted. Whether working from home, in the field, or embedded in city infrastructure, SEPAR members help maintain lifeline communications during critical incidents.

Roles and Responsibilities

SEPAR’s primary responsibility is to act as a communications safety net when regular systems go down. Our trained amateur radio operators support a wide range of emergency functions, including:

• Providing situation reports and check-ins from impacted areas.
  
  

• Supporting Emergency Social Services (ESS) operations at reception centres.
  
  

• Maintaining inter-municipal communication between Surrey and neighbouring jurisdictions.
  
  

• Linking local and provincial agencies, including Provincial Emergency Operations Centres (PREOCs).
  
  

• Facilitating communication for roving assessment teams, schools, hospitals, and other response units.
  
  

• Relaying public information, such as safety announcements, to local media.
  
  

• Supporting police, fire, and ambulance services with backup communications.
  
  

• Transmitting health and welfare traffic at the local, provincial, and national level.
  
  

Our radio operators are skilled at working under pressure and adapting to changing conditions. Many of our volunteers are cross-trained to function both independently and as part of integrated response teams.

Response Scenarios

SEPAR is structured to respond in multiple modes depending on the nature of the emergency:

Home Response

In the initial moments of a disaster, many SEPAR members begin by operating from their homes, workplaces, or vehicles. These operators provide situational awareness, resource requests, and damage reports from their neighborhoods. Home-based communications can serve as the first link in the city's response chain, especially when transportation and access are compromised.

Field Deployment

Some SEPAR volunteers are equipped and trained for mobile or site-based response. These assignments may involve supporting fire and rescue teams, Search and Rescue, damage assessment groups, dyke patrols, or roadblock operations. Volunteers working in the field must be self-reliant, bringing their own communication equipment, power supplies, protective gear, and grab-and-go kits. Field operators work in teams when possible and maintain communication with the Emergency Operations Centre or other designated hubs.

Embedded Support

In larger incidents, SEPAR may be called upon to staff dedicated radio rooms in key facilities such as Fire Hall 1 or the City’s Emergency Operations Centre. Operators in these roles provide continuous communication support to city officials and external partners, relaying tactical information and logistical needs as the situation evolves.

Operational Readiness

SEPAR’s strength lies in its adaptability and redundancy. Every SEPAR member has at least one working VHF/UHF radio, and many have HF capability for long-distance communication. This decentralized but coordinated network ensures Surrey can maintain essential messaging — even under widespread infrastructure failure.

In every activation, our goal is clear: connect the unconnected, and keep information flowing when it matters most.