KCGR Operator Reference -- Kershaw County Ground Report

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AA4TE

New to KCGR-RS?

The Quick Start page walks you through filing your first report in five steps.

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About This Page

This page is the field reference for the Kershaw County Ground Report -- Resource Status hub.
It defines:

Standard object names for all ten resource categories
Comment field format for APRS transmissions
Two-letter status and specifier codes
How the format applies across all intake modes

Intake modes covered:

APRS object beacons
Winlink form submissions
Meshtastic messages

All operators contributing to KCGR are expected to use these standards. Consistent formatting allows hub operators to cross-reference reports across radio modes and post accurate, timestamped information to the resource map without ambiguity.

This reference is also available as a PDF suitable for printing and storing in your go-box. Distribute the PDF to your club and mutual aid partners well before hurricane season -- lead time is one of the advantages we have over earthquake response. Download the quick reference (PDF).

Setting up Winlink for KCGR-RS? Download the Winlink forms (ZIP) -- the entry form, display form, message template, and legacy stylesheet, ready to drop into Pat's Standard_Forms folder or Winlink Express's Global Folders\Templates directory. See the README for exact install paths.

See also the live resource hub or the FAQ below.

The Ten Standard APRS Objects

APRS object names are fixed at 9 characters, padded with spaces if shorter. All KCGR objects use the KCGR- prefix.

Object names are self-describing by design. Any operator seeing one for the first time on their display understands it without a reference card -- unlike numbered code systems that require a lookup table.

Objects are listed in life-safety priority order:

Shelter and medical first -- immediate survival
Roads third -- determines if shelter and medical are reachable
Water and food -- short survival window
Fuel, power, cell, ATM in descending urgency
Health and welfare relay last -- important but not immediate survival

File the most critical observations first if time or conditions are limited.

Object Name	Meaning	Specifier Codes
KCGR-SHLT	Emergency shelter	CA capacity available NP no pets PP pets ok MO medical only
KCGR-MED	Medical facility	ER emergency room UC urgent care PH pharmacy OP open CL closed
KCGR-ROAD	Road / bridge status	OP passable CL closed CA caution BR bridge FL flooding TR trees/debris
KCGR-H2O	Potable water	DP distribution point BO boil order UK unknown quality
KCGR-FOOD	Food / restaurant / grocery	HF hot food GR grocery BT both
KCGR-FUEL	Fuel availability	GS gasoline DS diesel PP propane GD gasoline + diesel AL all three
KCGR-PWR	Power / charging / generator	GN generator CH device charging UT utility restored
KCGR-CELL	Cell signal location	AT AT&T VZ Verizon TM T-Mobile AL all carriers
KCGR-ATM	ATM / financial access	OP operational CL closed LM cash limited
KCGR-HW	Health & welfare relay	OP relay available HR hours follow NM no message limit

If your observation does not fit cleanly into one of the ten object types, file it in the closest category and clarify in the comment field. When in doubt, KCGR-SHLT or KCGR-FOOD cover the widest range of general welfare reports.

Want a copy for quick reference?
One or two page downloads: One page Quick Start | Two page Large Print Quick Start

Status Codes -- ST Field

THIS CODE FOLLOWS the OBJECT NAME.
On the public resource map, each status renders as a marker colour.
See the FAQ for the reasoning behind the colour choices.

Code	Meaning	Notes
OP	Open / operational	Resource is available and functioning at time of observation. Green -- go.
CL	Closed	Resource is not available. Red -- stop, do not proceed. File a follow-up if status changes.
LM	Limited	Available but restricted -- hours, supply, or capacity. Yellow -- proceed, expect a constraint. Clarify in comment field.
UK	Unknown	Not verified by direct observation. Grey -- deliberately neutral, no judgment implied. Use sparingly -- report what you know.
CA	Caution	Accessible but hazardous or unreliable. Amber -- proceed with caution, mostly used for roads. Clarify in comment field.

Comment Field Format -- 43 Characters

ST SPEC LOCATION DDHHMM

ST        2-character status code -- always first
SPEC      2-character specifier -- object-specific category detail
LOCATION abbreviated place name or road designation
DDHHMM    local time: day / hour / minute -- always last

Fields are ordered most-critical to least-critical. A message that gets cut short loses its timestamp before it loses its location or status. Status and location survive even the worst signal conditions.

Use a single space between fields
Run words together when character count demands it -- drop the space, not the data
DDHHMM is always last so any cutoff loses time before meaning
Local time -- no UTC conversion required from field operators

If a message is received without a timestamp, the hub operator notes it as time-unconfirmed and watches for a follow-up. All of the following are acceptable:

Full DDHHMM -- day, hour, and minute
DDHH -- day and hour only
DD -- day only
No time field at all

A message missing its status code hinders the automatic reporting structure. Always lead with ST (changes marker color) and SPEC after the OBJECT NAME.

Worked Examples

Each card shows the raw comment string as it would appear on an APRS display, followed by its plain English meaning.

OP PP LUGOFF MIDDLE SCH 262145

Shelter open, pets allowed -- Lugoff Middle School -- observed June 26 at 9:45 PM local

CL TR US601 N OF WATEREE 262200

Road closed, trees down -- US 601 north of Wateree River -- observed June 26 at 10:00 PM local. Chain saw needed.

OP GS CAMDEN SUNOCO DEKALB 262130

Fuel available, gasoline -- Sunoco on DeKalb St Camden -- observed June 26 at 9:30 PM local

LM ER KMC DIVERT TRAUMA 262115

Medical limited -- KMC emergency room diverting trauma cases -- observed June 26 at 9:15 PM local

OP DP CAMDEN CITY HALL 262000

Potable water distribution point -- Camden City Hall -- observed June 26 at 8:00 PM local

OP CH CAMDEN LIBRARY 262030

Device charging available -- Camden Library -- observed June 26 at 8:30 PM local

Amber cards show incomplete messages -- cut short before the timestamp, but location and status are intact and still actionable.

CL FL SC34 AT LYNCH CREEK 26

Incomplete -- road closed, flooding on SC 34 at Lynch Creek -- day 26, time not received. Location and status intact. Still actionable.

OP AL CAMDEN WALMART

Incomplete -- cell signal all carriers at Camden Walmart -- no timestamp received. Location and status intact. Still actionable.

Platform Notes -- APRS / Winlink / Meshtastic

The KCGR object prefix and ST/SPEC codes work on all three platforms. Use the compressed format on APRS where character count is strict. Expand to plain English on Winlink and Meshtastic where space allows.

APRS Object Beacon

Use the exact object name and 43-character comment format defined in this reference. No expansion is possible -- compression is mandatory.

Prefix all objects with KCGR-
Repeat beacon every 10-30 minutes during active reporting
Send a follow-up report with updated status when the condition is resolved.

43-character comment field -- strict limit

Winlink -- KCGR-RS Form

File a KCGR Resource Status form in Winlink Express or Pat.
TO: KCGR-OPS Subject: auto-filled as KCGR-RS - [callsign] - [date]

⚠ The form's own "Send To" field is a reminder only -- it cannot set your compose window's address for you. Type or select KCGR-OPS in your own compose window's To: field before or right after filling out the form. A message sent without doing this will bounce.

The form uses the same ten categories and ST/SPEC codes. Full plain English notes are encouraged -- no compression needed. Works via HF or VHF when internet is down.

Unlike the Palmetto RR which requests inbound resources, KCGR-RS reports outbound observed conditions. File both during active events when possible.

No practical character limit

Meshtastic

Use the KCGR prefix and ST/SPEC codes for consistency, then expand to plain English for the remainder of the message.

Example:
KCGR-ROAD CL TR US601 north of Fairfield Rd. Large pine blocking both lanes. Chain saw needed. Observed 262145

Operators in mutual aid areas outside Kershaw County should use their local prefix when that system is active: MGS- for Midlands, SCGR- for statewide.

255-char limit -- ~200 recommended for reliable relay

Frequently Asked Questions

Does KCGR-RS modify or replace ICS-213?

No. ICS-213 (General Message) is free-text and not structured for resource status reporting -- it stays exactly as-is for its intended use. KCGR-RS fills a different, previously unoccupied lane: outbound, hyperlocal community resource status. Existing forms like the Palmetto Resource Request move resources inbound to a county; KCGR-RS reports observed conditions outward to the public. The two are complementary, not competing -- operators should file both during active events.

Who's behind these reports, and what stops bad information from getting on the map?

Every report comes from someone with job- or volunteer-specific training relevant to what they're reporting: government agencies (SCDOT, utility outage systems), local Emergency Management and EOC staff, county law enforcement, the National Weather Service through its Skywarn spotter program, and licensed amateur radio operators, who are FCC-examined and individually traceable by callsign. Each of those carries its own established form of accountability -- a badge, a license, a duty station -- that a report has already passed through before it ever reaches this map.

This is the same trust model USGS uses for its Did You Feel It? earthquake reporting system: USGS formally partnered with Winlink and ARES in 2020 specifically because licensed-operator data holds up. If a federal earthquake damage map trusts this network, a county-level resource hub built on the same operators and the same infrastructure is starting from validated ground.

The hub operator additionally holds NWS Skywarn spotter and net control credentials, adding a second layer of vetted-observer standing beyond the amateur radio license itself. Every posted report has also passed through the hub operator before it reaches the map -- there is no visual "trust tier" shown to the public, because if it's posted, it's vetted. What differs is how much corroboration a report needs before that happens:

Auto-vetted, posted on receipt: Winlink and APRS reports from a licensed amateur callsign; NWS Columbia Skywarn Slack; direct government data feeds such as SCDOT and poweroutage.us.

Requires second-witness confirmation first: Meshtastic, GMRS, and other non-amateur-radio channels; unsolicited Tier 3 web/phone submissions. These channels don't carry amateur radio's identity/licensing guarantee, so an independent second report substitutes for it.

When in doubt, the hub operator holds the report and seeks a second source rather than post on a single unverified account. A late-but-correct map beats a fast-but-wrong one.

This map reflects the best information available at the time each report was filed -- not a live feed, and not a guarantee. Always check the timestamp before treating a report as current; conditions on the ground can change faster than a report gets updated.

This map is not a substitute for 911 or official emergency alerts. If you're in immediate danger, always call 911 first.

Why do markers use red, yellow, and green -- plus amber and grey?

Colour on the map encodes status -- can I use this right now -- not resource category. That's the red/yellow/green convention every driver already knows from traffic signals and fuel gauges, so there's zero learning curve under stress: green means open, red means closed, yellow means limited, amber means proceed with caution, and grey means unverified. Resource category (shelter, fuel, water, and so on) is instead shown by icon, keeping the two dimensions independent rather than fighting over the same visual channel.

Green and red are also kept at different brightness levels rather than pure hue alone, since roughly 1 in 12 men have red-green colour blindness. The object icon on each marker gives a second, colour-independent way to read what's being shown.

What forms should operators file during an active event?

File a KCGR-RS Resource Status form for observed community conditions (shelter, fuel, water, roads, etc.) and a Field Situation Report to SC ARES/SCEMD for infrastructure status (power, water, cell, internet). The two forms don't duplicate each other by design -- KCGR-RS deliberately does not include FSR's infrastructure fields. Every KCGR submission includes a footer reminder to also file an FSR.
To file a 43-character message via APRS, use the information above or quickly find step-by-step instructions at the KCGR Quick Start page.

Why are codes used instead of plain English in APRS comments?

APRS object beacons have a hard 43-character comment field limit. There's no room for plain English and still fit status, specifier, location, and timestamp. The codes are deliberately self-describing (KCGR-FUEL, OP, GS) rather than numbered -- an operator seeing one for the first time can understand it without a lookup table, unlike systems such as NTS ARL radiograms with 90+ numbered codes to memorize. On Winlink and Meshtastic, where space allows, operators are encouraged to expand into full plain English alongside the codes.

Who sees the codes vs. who sees the map?

Operators work in codes on the radio side -- that's what fits the character limits and keeps transmissions fast under pressure. The public never sees raw codes. The hub operator translates every report into plain English before it's posted to the public resource map, so a viewer just sees "Camden Armory -- Shelter open, pets permitted" rather than any code string.

A public-facing resource map, embedded weather information, and power outage (US) maps can be found at: KCGR-Resource Status Hub

What is Grist, and why not just use Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel?

Grist is an open-source spreadsheet/database hybrid used to hold KCGR resource reports and feed them to the live map. It was chosen over Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel for one main reason: both are free and familiar, but both come from companies whose business model depends on data harvesting. KCGR data -- shelter locations, fuel status, road conditions during a disaster -- shouldn't sit inside that model, especially for a project built around helping people during vulnerable moments: displaced from home, without power, seeking shelter.

Grist has no advertising model, and its free hosted tier remains free unless an organization exceeds $1M in total annual funding -- a threshold KCGR will never approach. Beginning August 31, 2026, getgrist.com expands from 3 team members to 10 on their free tier. CryptPad and Zoho Sheet were evaluated as privacy-respecting backup options, in case Grist's free tier ever stopped fitting.

Is this project open source and available to any Amateur Radio organization, EmComm, EOC, or ARES?

>YES, check out the README.md and Full-KCGR-Manual.md as well as winlink forms, python scripts at https://github.com/taco40sauce/kcgr-resource-feed. Contact AA4TE using qrz.com.

Why does this project exist?

During Hurricane Helene, ham-collected situational reports mostly went to agencies and disappeared from public view. This project's goal: have a pipeline in place before the next major hurricane, so ground reports are visible to formal agencies and the public at the same time — no gatekeeper, no single point of failure.

Glossary -- Technical Terms

Plain English definitions for terms used in this reference that may not be familiar to all operators.

Object beacon

A named marker transmitted over APRS that appears as a labeled point on APRS maps and displays. Unlike a position report, an object can represent any location -- not just the transmitting station.

Comment field

The free-text area attached to an APRS transmission, limited to 43 characters for object beacons. This is where the ST/SPEC/LOCATION/DDHHMM data goes.

Specifier

A two-letter code in the SPEC field that describes the specific type within a category. For example, GS (gasoline), DS (diesel), and PP (propane) are all specifiers for KCGR-FUEL.

Incomplete message

A message cut short before all fields were received, most commonly losing the timestamp. The KCGR format is designed so the most important fields survive even when the end of a message is lost.

Mesh network

Meshtastic's system where each radio automatically relays messages from other radios, extending range without a central repeater. The more radios in the area, the better the coverage.

Gateway

A Winlink station that connects radio traffic to the internet, allowing messages filed via HF or VHF radio to reach email addresses and Winlink inboxes worldwide.

Propagation

How far a radio signal travels. On Meshtastic, good propagation means a message reaches more relay nodes. On HF Winlink, propagation conditions affect which gateway stations are reachable.

Kill message

An APRS transmission that removes a previously beaconed object from APRS/aprs.fi displays only. It does not update or remove a report from the KCGR map. To close out a resolved condition (road reopens, shelter closes, fuel runs out) on the KCGR map, send a follow-up report with the updated status. Hub operators may still send a kill message afterward if they want the beacon off aprs.fi.

Format Rationale -- For Future Administrators

Design Constraints

The KCGR comment field format
was designed under three constraints:

1. APRS object comment field
   limit of 43 characters
2. No numbered codes requiring
   a lookup table under stress
3. Graceful handling of messages
   cut short by poor conditions

All design decisions flow from
constraint 1. The NTS ARL numbered
radiogram system (90+ codes) was
considered and rejected. ARL codes
require memorization or lookup.
KCGR-ROAD and KCGR-FUEL are
self-describing to any operator
seeing them for the first time.

Field order (ST SPEC LOCATION
DDHHMM) places most-critical data
first. DDHHMM is always last so
a cut message loses time before
it loses location or status.
Status and location survive even
the worst signal conditions.
ObjectName/ST/SPEC/Location/Date
was chosen due to available 47 APRS
message limitations.

Object List Decisions

Ten object names were fixed
deliberately. A general or
miscellaneous object was proposed
and rejected -- operators filing
to the nearest category produces
more consistent, mappable data
than an undefined catchall.

If an observation truly fits no
category, KCGR-SHLT or KCGR-FOOD
are the broadest containers.

A light/dark display toggle was
proposed for this page and deferred.
Adding theme switching requires
JavaScript and additional CSS,
increasing page weight. This page
is explicitly designed to load
under degraded conditions. Dark
theme was chosen permanently for
readability in field conditions
and nighttime use. The FAQ
accordion above uses native
HTML details/summary elements
for the same reason -- zero
JavaScript, zero added weight.

KCGR-ROAD TR (trees/debris) was
added specifically because chain
saw operators self-deploying to
clear roads is documented community
behavior during Helene recovery.

Geographic Expansion

Prefix ladder for expansion:

KCGR- Kershaw County (5 chars)
MGS- Midlands (4 chars)
SCGR- South Carolina (5 chars)

MGS- gains one character in the
object name field. SCGR- matches
KCGR- exactly, so object names
port to the state level without
restructuring.

The prefix is the only redundant
element at Midlands and state level.
Field order and specifier codes
are load-bearing. Proposed changes
should shorten or replace the
prefix before modifying field
order or eliminating codes.

Developed June 2026 by AA4TE,
Camden SC, EM94. KC4RC / Kershaw
County ARES. Not a final standard
-- for review by Kershaw County
ARES EC, Midlands Section 3,
and SC ARES.