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- Bid : $RACESBUL.286
-
-
- TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES VIA AMATEUR RADIO
- INFO: ALL RACES OPERATORS IN CA (ALLCA: OFFICIAL)
- ALL AMATEURS U.S. (@ USA: INFORMATION)
- FROM: CA STATE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
- (KH6GBX @ WA6NWE.CA)
- 2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA 95832
- (916)262-1600
- Landline BBS open to all: (916) 262-1657
- RACESBUL.286 DATE: August 9, 1993
-
- SUBJECT: MGT - Do you "Ham" a Problem?
-
- Let's face it, for the fact that it is: some governments
- don't really understand about Emergency Communications Units;
- they don't really understand how to work with and utilize
- volunteers, including hams, some of whom are professional
- communicators.
- As a friend of mine put it recently, "Some government people
- have been "had" --- burned and worn out mentally --- by "hams"
- who are just that, amateurs (with the small letter "a") with no
- real ability at communications; no interpersonal people skills;
- not willing to work cooperatively; who just don't fit the type of
- people that an administrator wants to associate with, work with
- or be around. Unfortunately, the ham who is responsible for such
- affairs seldom, if ever, can grasp the significance of his/her
- actions in causing such unfortunate results. Regretably, once an
- agency person has experienced such an unpleasant situation, it
- can seriously hamper the efforts of more qualified professionals
- who come along later."
- Quite true, I agreed. One idea that came to mind after our
- discussion was this: avoid the use of "ham" or "amateurs". Speak
- in terms of professional communicators who work without pay,
- similar to a Search and Rescue Unit (SAR). Call it an ECS Unit -
- Emergency Communications Support Unit or something similar and
- raise the expectation up to the emotional "want" level. Stay away
- from "ham" acronyms that can confuse or trigger past memories.
- S/S Cary Mangum, W6WWW, State OES Chief Radio Officer
- EOM
-
-
- -----------------
- RACES Bulletins are archived on the Internet at ucsd.edu in hamradio/races
- and can be retrieved using FTP.
-