[600MRG] A better explanation of the need for emcomm fallbackmodes.

[Edward R Cole]

Lee,

My final career, that lasted 15 years, was as a Communications Tech. 
for one of three primary Oil Spill Recovery Organizations in 
Alaska.  Previous to that I worked over a year as Radio Operator 
during the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean up for the OSRO in charge of 
Prince William Sound.

One constant in all those exercises and real events was the 
unpreparedness of organizations to handle communications.  And I am 
talking about the organizational mechanics and not even the technical issues.

The only solution is to learn thru practising on a frequent 
basis.  Every oil spill scenario was different and unique in the 
communications needed.  One needed to thoroughly know his assets and 
be versatile in their deployment.  I was the one individual in my 
organization that had that to offer.

Hams, to be of real use, need to become one of these assets and take 
part in planning and exercises.

You are correct that most all of us are unprepared to face a Katrina 
event.  But for every one of that scope there are tens or twenty 
smaller events that are the main business for ICP and emcomm.  It 
takes commitment as one can not just show up on "disaster 
day"!  Before this I had been a volunteer EMT for a small EMS in a 
remote area of Alaska so I had plenty of "being there and doing that".

The CERT program is probably an area hams can get involved and make a 
contribution.  Our local club is involved in a an exercise on March 
27 called "Alaska Shield" and we will be demonstrating to our 
regional gov't entities our abilities to provide alternative comms.

Its 5 o'clock in the morning.  The phone rings.  You have 30-minutes 
to put together the radio equipment that you need and get in your 
vehicle and head out.  You will not be back home for at least 24 
hours - forget something and you fail.

73, Ed - KL7UW

At 07:52 PM 3/5/2014, you wrote:
>Gentlemen,
>
>Nine Eleven changed the lives of all of us but the problem is that 
>so few seem to know "in what way."   Things are not at all what they 
>used to be---even five years ago.   I would suggest that everyone 
>find a local person who is an Incident Command System "COML" 
>(communications leader) and/or "COMT" "communications technician" 
>and ask him to speak at a club or organization meeting.   Classes 
>are infrequently given for the Auxiliary Communicator people and 
>that is the one that ties ham radio to the ICS. Homeland Security 
>has done a lot of work setting up a system to provide great 
>emergency communications systems but very few people seem to know 
>anything about it and the ICS 100 and 700 classes are really nothing 
>but a basic start.
>
>My XYL frequently hears me mumbling to myself about the state of 
>emergency communications today and has commented to me that if I'm 
>right about even a tiny bit of this we are no where near ready to 
>handle a Katrina-like crisis. I think she's right.  There is much 
>learning to be done.
>
>73
>
>Lee   K9WRU
>----- Original Message ----- From: <sbjohnston at aol.com>
>To: <600mrg at w7ekb.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 5:55 PM
>Subject: Re: [600MRG] A better explanation of the need for emcomm 
>fallbackmodes.
>
>
>>Glen wrote:
>>
>>
>>>The problem with CW is that the majority of amateur radio
>>>operators these days can't copy the emissions!
>>
>>There is a surprising amount of CW activity on the HF bands.  But I 
>>doubt that the percentage of operators who know CW makes much 
>>difference in the case of 630 meters...the bigger challenge that 
>>narrows the field of possible operators is the difficulty of 
>>building an effective station.
>>
>>
>>
>>Steve WD8DAS
>>
>>sbjohnston at aol.com
>>http://www.wd8das.net/
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Radio is your best entertainment value.
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
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