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racesbul.329
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1994-11-13
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Bid: $RACESBUL.329
Subject: RB329 Declared/Undeclared Emergencies!
From: W6WWW@KD6XZ.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM
To : RACES@ALLUS
TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES VIA AMATEUR RADIO
INFO: ALL COMMUNICATIONS VOLUNTEERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE
INFO: ALL AMATEURS U.S (@USA: INFORMATION); CAP, MARS
FROM: CA GOVERNORS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
(W6SIG@WA6NWE.CA) Ph: 916-262-1600
2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA 95832
Landline BBS Open to All: 916-262-1657
RACESBUL.329 RELEASE DATE: June 6, 1994
Subject: OPS- Declared & Undeclared Emergencies
Question: Is a "declared emergency" required for the RACES to be
activated?
Answer: "No, that is one of the myths about RACES, and it is NOT
true.
The "declared emergency concept" is a fifty-year old hold-over of
the long-gone idea that the RACES was to be a special service in
which Amateurs would operate in wartime, hence a "declaration" by
the president. One has only to read Section 97 to realize that
was its genesis.
Today, the understanding and use of the RACES is quite different.
It is NOT necessary that there be a declaration of an emergency
in order to activate the RACES. It is activated in countless
emergencies without a declaration having proceeded that
activation. All it takes is authorization by the person named in
the RACES plan for that purpose. A simple "can you call in some
of the RACES people" is all it takes.
A declaration, when and if utilized, is to invoke laws such as
those that provide access to state or federal funds. If there is
no need for that declaration, the agency responds anyway, and so
can the RACES. In fact, there are emergency management agencies
that activate their RACES the moment they activate any other
staff personnel; even in a potential emergency, such as a hazmat
spill of unknown materials. Nonetheless, there are still those
who carry this idea firmly entrenched in their minds as the
result of misinformation in various publications, so the
situation warrants review.
From time to time we see this statement: "Once the emergency is
recognized by a state or federal agency it becomes a "declared
emergency". That is false, as it implies that the local
jurisdiction has no control, when in fact it is the local
jurisdiction that may first declare the emergency in order to
gain outside help. Further, the recognition of an emergency is
not in and of itself a declaration. A declaration is a
proclamation for certain legal purposes, not activation of the
RACES. It is important to realize that a declared emergency may
NOT invoke the call-out of a RACES unit any more than a
non-declared emergency. NEED determines call-out, not
"declaration".
eom