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- From : W6HIR @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA.USA
- Msgid : $RACESBUL.181
- Subject : RACESBUL.181
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- TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES/OFFICES VIA THE ARS
- INFO: ALL RACES OPERATORS IN CA (ALLCA: OFFICIAL)
- ALL AMATEURS U.S. (@ USA: INFORMATION)
- FROM: CA STATE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (W6HIR @ WA6NWE.CA)
- 2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA 95832 (916)427-4281
- RACESBUL.181 DATE: August 5, 1991
- SUBJECT: A COMMUNICATIONS AUXILIARY
- Staff personnel in charge of Amateur Radio Auxiliary support
- groups may have a more useful and flexible group of communicators
- than they realize. And there may be more "outside" resource
- groups available to augment your in-house communications during
- emergencies that strain your system capabilities.
- In addition to RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
- Service) volunteers, you might find that such organizations as
- the Civil Air Patrol, the various military MARS organizations,
- and the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) can supply
- experienced and well trained radio communicators. To search out
- such resources that may be available in your area is an obvious
- task for your Radio Officer.
- All this may seem a difficult and even an unnecessary task
- for a busy professional to take on, in addition to all the others
- which make demands on both time and energy. However, it is a
- truism that no major disaster situation ever happens without
- overwhelming normally quite adequate communications systems.
- Professionals in emergency communications organizations may
- not be aware of the quality people available to them in the
- Amateur Radio Community. Even though not all Amateurs are
- interested in being a part of an organized and trained
- "communications reserve", even a small percentage of the half
- million licensed Amateur Radio operators in the country can be a
- formidable group. Likewise, not all Amateurs are physically,
- psychologically, and technically qualified to fit into an
- organization that trains for and deals with major disasters.
- Reserve law enforcement officers and volunteer fire department
- personnel are usually screened for these roles. Similar
- selective routines are needed for your "communications reserve"
- people. Once properly selected and trained, however, your
- Amateur Radio auxiliary can be equally effective in the
- communications field as the other - and perhaps better known -
- police and fire support people.
- One more thing to consider - a trained and competent Amateur
- may be just what you need to operate some of your own regular
- communications gear in an emergency. Given the needed training
- in advance, they can be as professional as your regular staff.
- Bill Musladin, N6BTJ
- Assistant State RACES Officer
- EOM
-