WICEN consists of a number of state or territory based volunteer emergency communications
service organisations whose members are primarily licensed amateur radio operators. Members are
accredited to assist in emergency situations and are able to provide emergency and safety
communications for other agencies when conventional communications networks fail or are inadequate.
Emergency radio networks can be assembled quickly, taking advantage of both amateur radio frequencies
and services and licenced non-amateur frequency allocations.
Each WICEN entity operates independently under appropriate local, state, or other disaster plans.
Key objectives of WICEN are to provide:
communications support for emergency services operating in areas where infrastructure has
failed or in remote areas where there is no suitable communications infrastructure
communications support for community and charitable events needing communications networks beyond
regular mobile phone services
operators for emergency operations centres
WICEN members undertake additional formal training, supplementing the knowledge required to hold
an amateur radio licence from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.