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In order to improve the Government's understanding of
the role of RAYNET, representatives from the Emergency
Planning Team of the Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network
recently met with the Central Sponsor for Information
Assurance (CSIA) which is a unit of the Cabinet Office
and which works with partners in the public and private
sectors, as well as its international counterparts, to
help safeguard the nation's IT and telecommunications
services.
RAYNET Chair, Cathy Clark, G1GQJ and her team gave a
presentation on the capabilities and current resources
of RAYNET and in turn learned about the Government
Contingency operations requirements. It was agreed that
the main areas where RAYNET could assist would be
between the County to District level and Emergency
Services Strategic (GOLD) and with the National Critical
National Infrastructure (CNI) Utilities and also at the
incident level between (Bronze) (operational) and the
Local Authorities and sectors of the CNI.
This initial meeting was considered by both parties
to be a worthwhile exchange of ideas, and future
meetings will include the use of RAYNET as part of the
communications contingency in support of Continuity of
Government, how CSIA can help RAYNET discuss projects
with agencies it would be working with in times of
emergency, how mutual training can be> undertaken,
licensing matters and the use of chosen frequencies.
[Under the terms of the recent
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RSGB and The
Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network, The Network is
designated the lead agency in consultations with the
Cabinet Office's Civil Contingency Secretariat.]
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