Course Station Radio Operator Instructions

You are the "station chief." If you are not comfortable with this, hand off the radio and red flag to someone else at the station who is.
Know how to operate the radio (frequency selection, volume, squelch, push-to-talk, as applicable). If you don't know, ask Penalty Call-in, the Worker Chief or the Equipment focal (if available), as you get the radio. Be sure that you have pushed the TALK button firmly and hold for a second before starting to speak.
Make sure you can hear the radio. When Penalty Call-in asks you to check in, verify that he/she can also hear you.
Know your coverage area. Normally the course designer should have provided station maps to show this.
Have your station colleagues check the cones to be sure they are on spot, before the first car runs.
Hold the red flag furled (not rolled up). Hold the radio in your other hand.
Let your course station colleagues chase cones. Your first responsibility is to watch the backs of your station workers; watch for potential red-flag situations, especially when there are multiple cars on course; and communicate with Penalty Call-in/Course Control.
Tell your station colleagues to spread out; watch the cones and not the cars; and make sure they communicate penalties to you so that you can call them in.
Call in total penalties on a car as it leaves your coverage area for the last time. Quickly relay your station number, the penalties, and enough information to uniquely identify the car (e.g. "Station Three, 2 cones on red Rx-7 #45").
If Penalty Call-in does not acknowledge your call, ask them if they heard it. Keep calling until they properly acknowledge.
If you hear a call for a red flag on the radio, look around for approaching cars first. Then unfurl the flag, step toward the course, and wave the flag at the nearest car. Don't just stand there and hold the flag out; your job at that point is to get the driver's attention. Don't step out into the path of the car, or close enough to it to jeopardize your safety.
Inform a red-flagged driver that they probably get a re-run (unless they were flagged for their own mechanical failure, or because they were so far off course as to be creating a safety hazard involving another car), and that they should return to the Grid and contact Grid personnel about where to line up. Tell them to drive off the course, or through the remainder of the route, at a low but not crawling speed (about 20 mph) on their way to Grid.

Updated 3/03