On this page, please find the COLCON Emergency Response Guidelines document. This guide provides context and operating procedure to guide the effective and responsive assistance you may be called on to provide another ham operator in distress. Please download, print, and retain a copy near your shack’s operating position.
This guide walks through the nature of emergencies. It helps you discriminate between a true emergency and a very uncomfortable inconvenience. The guidelines help make clear how to negotiate a request for assistance using good amateur radio practice.
Additionally, we offer a number of operating aids that may provide important information needed to effectively deliver assistance.
If you are in Colorado Springs and received a mayday call from someone near Kirk Colorado, and dialed 9-1-1 – how would you proceed? Your 9-1-1 call goes to the El Paso county dispatch center. Do you know who has jurisdiction for Kirk? (Do you know what county Kirk is in?)
These are questions the operating aids can help you navigate. The city to county lookup will point to Yuma County. If the El Paso center does not transfer you, the PSAP directory will tell you the direct-dial number for Yuma’s dispatch center. From there you can proceed to resolve the emergency.
Please report errata, concerns, suggestions, or questions to:
Walt Washburn, KT0D, via email (see QRZ page)
Emergency Response Guidelines (2026-10-25) (download PDF)
Operating Aids document bundle (2026-10-24) (download ZIP)