Number           Precedence      HX       Station of Origin                             Check
Place of Origin                                Time Filed                 Date
To:
received at:Amateur Station                             Date                       Phone                           
Name                                                                
Street Address                                                                                  
City, State, Zip                                                                 
Telephone Number:                                       
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Signature
REC’D From                   Date            Time           
SENT To                        Date             Time
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A licensed Amateur Radio Operator, whose address is
shown above, handled this message free of charge. As
such messages are handled solely for the pleasure of
operating, a “Ham” Operator can accept no
compensation. A return message may be filed with the
”Ham” delivering this message to you. Further
information on Amateur Radio may be obtained from ARRL
Headquarters, 225, Main Street, Newington, CT 06111.
The American Radio Relay League, Inc. is the National
Membership Society of licensed radio amateurs and the
publisher of QST Magazine. One of its functions is
promotion of public service communication among
Amateur Operators. To that end, The League has
organized the National Traffic System for daily
nationwide message handling.
In accordance with FCC regulations, the contents of messages handled by amateur 
radio are not
divulged to any unauthorized persons. These communications are furnished without any 
form of
compensation. This form is more efficient than many “relays” which may be incorrectly
“translated” by the operators, especially if there is a high percentage of special agency
terminology or technical terms.
ARRL FSD-3 contains Relief Emergency Recommended Procedures which allow for the 
use of
“numbered” Radiograms. FCC rules and regulations allow for these ARRL numbered 
shortcuts
as they are not intended to obscure the contents of the message, but rather to further 
reduce the
possibility of ambiguity or error. These “numbers” refer to the following shortcuts in 
Group One
for Possible Relief Emergency traffic – not to the “message number” box on the 
Radiogram:
Page numbers
Appendix ARRL Message Form
ARRL Message Format Instructions
for NTS Traffic Handling
The letters ARL are inserted in the preamble in the check count and in the text before 
spelled out
numbers or numbers in numeral form which represent text from Group One. Example:
NR 20 E W9INL ARL 9 BLOOMINGTON IN. MAY 15 MONROE COUNTY
EMA W 7TH ST PHONE 349-2546 ARL EIGHT 2 ARL THIRTEEN ARL
SIXTEEN RBB SHELTER JOHN .
In plain text, this message reads: Message number 20, Precedence Emergency, From 
W9INL,
Check is 9 words, location Bloomington, IN, May 15, for Monroe County EMA at W 7th,
telephone 349-2546. Text: need 2 additional mobile or portable units at this location, a 
medical
emergency exists here, property damage very severe in this area RBB Shelter, Signed, 
John.
Group One—For Possible Relief Emergency Use
ONE Everyone safe here. Please don't worry.
TWO. Coming home as soon as possible.
THREE. Am in _____ hospital. Receiving excellent care and recovering fine.
FOUR\ Only slight property damage here. Do not be concerned about disaster reports.
FIVE Am moving to new location. Send no further mail or communication. Will inform
you of new address when relocated.
SIX Will contact you as soon as possible.
SEVEN. Please reply by Amateur Radio through the amateur delivering this message.
EIGHT Need additional ____ mobile or portable equipment for immediate emergency 
use.
NINE. Additional _____ radio operators needed to assist with emergency at this 
location.
TEN Please contact _____. Advise to standby and provide further emergency
information, instructions or assistance.
ELEVEN Establish Amateur Radio emergency communications with _____ on _____ 
MHz.
TWELVE Anxious to hear from you. No word in some time. Please contact me as soon 
as
possible.
THIRTEEN Medical emergency situation exits here.
FOURTEEN Situation here becoming critical. Losses and damage from ____ 
increasing.
FIFTEEN Please advise your condition and what help is needed.
SIXTEEN Property damage very severe in this area.
SEVENTEEN REACT communications services also available. Establish REACT 
communication
with _____ on channel _____.
EIGHTEEN Please contact me as soon as possible at _____.
NINETEEN Request health and welfare report on _____ . (State name, address and 
telephone
number.)
TWENTY Temporarily stranded. Will need some assistance. Please contact me at 
_____.
TWENTY ONE Search and Rescue assistance is needed by local authorities here. 
Advise
availability.
TWENTY TWO Need accurate information on the extent and type of conditions now 
existing at
your location. Please furnish this information and reply without delay.
TWENTY THREE Report at once the accessibility and best way to reach your location.
TWENTY FOUR Evacuation of residents from this area urgently needed. Advise plans 
for help.
TWENTY FIVE Furnish as soon as possible the weather conditions at your location.
TWENTY SIX Help and care for evacuation of sick and injured from this location 
needed at once.
.
Emergency/priority messages originating from official sources must carry the signature 
of the
originating official.
Page numbers
ARRL Message Form Appendix
ARRL Radiogram Message Form Contents
Date of origin. The address should be complete and include a telephone number if 
known. The text
should be short and to the point, and the signature should contain not only the name of 
the person
sending the message but his title or connection also, if any.
Number. This is the number of the message. Select a start point for “1.”
Precedence.
Emergency—Any message having life and death urgency to any person or group of 
persons. This
includes official messages of welfare agencies during emergencies requesting supplies,
materials, or instructions vital to relief of stricken populace in emergency areas. These 
are
handled before Priority, Welfare, or Routine traffic. Rarely used during non-emergency 
periods.
Priority—Important messages having a specific time limit: official messages not 
covered in the
Emergency category, press dispatches and other emergency-related traffic not of the 
utmost
urgency, personal or official notification of death or injury in a disaster. These are 
handled after
Emergency traffic but before Welfare or Routine traffic.
Welfare—A message that is either;
an inquiry as to the health of an individual in the disaster area or
an advisory or reply from the disaster area that indicates all is well should carry this
precedence. These messages are handled after Emergency and Priority traffic, but 
before
Routine.
Routine—Most traffic in normal times will bear this designation. In disaster situations, 
traffic
labeled Routine should be handled last, or not at all when circuits are busy with 
Emergency,
Priority, or Welfare traffic.
Handling Instructions. Optional. This section is not regularly used in Emergency 
Communications, but
once inserted is mandatory with all relaying stations. The following definitions apply:
HXA--(Followed by number) Collect landline delivery authorized by addressee 
within...miles. (If no
number, authorization is unlimited.)
HXB--(Followed by number) Cancel message if not delivered within...hours of filing time; 
service
originating station.
HXC—Report date and time of delivery (TOD) to originating station.
HXD—Report to originating station the identity of station from which received, plus date 
and time.
Report identity of station to which relayed, plus date and time, or if delivered report 
date,
time and method of delivery.
HXE—Delivering station get reply from addressee, originate message back.
HXF--(Followed by number.) Hold delivery until...(date).
HXG—Delivery by mail or landline toll call not required. If toll or other expense involved, 
cancel
message and service originating station.
Station of Origin. The first amateur handler. (see Place of Origin)
Check. The number of words/groups in text only.
Place of Origin. City or town where message is sent. Not necessarily location of 
Station of Origin.
Time Filed. The time message is filed. Optional with originating station.
Address. Complete address including ZIP code of person who will receive this 
message.
Telephone Number. Complete telephone number including area code of person who 
will receive the
message.
Text. Limit message to 25 words or less, if possible. Note that “X”, when used in the 
text as punctuation,
counts as a word for Check..
Signature. The name of the person sending the message. It does not count as a word.
RCV’D (Received). During an emergency, an official who receives the message should 
sign in the box.
Otherwise, the amateur who receives the message signs. Message forms may vary, so 
if this area is not
on the form, sign on the back of the form.
Sent. During an emergency, an official who sends the message should sign in the box. 
Otherwise, the amateur who
sends the message signs. Message forms may vary, so if this area is not on the form, 
sign on the back of the form.
Page numbers