GENERAL MESSAGE - Instructions
__________________________________________________________________________________________
           
       TO: (Enter the name of the intended recipient, if known, or an email address, if known)		
 POSITION: (Enter the destination position or function; i.e., "Lane County Logistics" or "OEM 	              County Desk")
__________________________________________________________________________________________
 
     FROM: (The incident or exercise location and jurisdiction, i.e., West Lane County EOC)
 POSITION: (The ICS position or function originating the message; i.e., "Logistics")
__________________________________________________________________________________________

  SUBJECT: (A brief description of the issue or request)
DATE/TIME: (Press the "F5" key on your keypad to automatically insert the date and time)
__________________________________________________________________________________________

 MESSAGE:

Give a full, cogent description of the request, observation, issue or situation. For a formal situation report, use the specific format known as a "SITREP". Keep in mind the key concepts of good communications; who, what, when, where, why and how. Fully justify any request for manpower, supplies, services, and equipment. Specify the timeframes the requested items are needed. Discuss any transportation or infrastructure issues that may impinge on the ability to have your request filled. Be as specific as possible, anticipate any questions the recipient of the message may have. Type as much as necessary to clearly communicate the situation...this section will expand as necessary. But be as brief as possible.  

When complete, "save-as" this document with a new file name, such as "ICS-213 Smith 8:23 PM 5/31/2009", where "Smith" is the name of the originator, and "8:23 PM 5/31/2009" is obtained by pressing the "F5" key. Give the "thumb drive" with your message on it to the ARES/RACES operators for transmission, or let them know where on your shared network they can find the file.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

S-SIGNATURE:  /S/  (The name of the individual composing the message, NOT the typist)
   POSITION:  (The ICS position or function of the individual composing the message, i.e.,"Logs                  Chief")
__________________________________________________________________________________________

REPLY: 

This section will contain the response, if any, of the agency or person in receipt of your message. The reply may be as simple as "Your message 10:34 PM 5/30/2009 received", or may contain requests for clarification,  instructions, and/or information regarding your original message.
Ideally, the respondant will have used THIS reply section of the same document you originally transmitted, and you will have a completed history of request and response on a single sheet of paper. Depending upon the training and experience levels of the responding agency, your reply may be delivered to you in a variety of other printed forms or plain text, perhaps even over a voice net.

You should manually annotate your original document, in the reply section, as to how and where the response was received if not directly on the re-transmitted original. If a seperate, hard-copy response was received, staple it to the original.



__________________________________________________________________________________________

  DATE/TIME: (The date and time of the response)
S-SIGNATURE: /S/ (The name of the individual making the response)
   POSITION: (The ICS position or function of the individual composing the message, i.e.,
	     " OEM County Desk" 	 __________________________________________________________________________________________
				
Airmail Ver. ICS-213                                   For Transmission via ARES/RACES