QRZ! Ham Radio 1/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - December 1993.iso/ucsd/races/policy.asc

Text File | 1992-09-13 | 75KB | 1,471 lines

October 2, 1990
The following files are selected from our Management and
Policy portion of the RACPAC -- RACES Package.  These should
be helpful to any government setting up and managing a RACES
program. Chained together are the following files:
1. RACESPOL.ASC   RACES policies
2. POLICYLT.ASC   A letter on policy
3. W6USLTR.ASC    A letter to a new State RACES station manager
4. POLGUIDE.ASC   The CA State RACES Policy Guide
5. INTERVUE.ASC   An interview by a publication with the State
                  RACES Coordinator
6. PDALL.ASC      Various RACES positions descriptions

                            * * * * *

MEMO TO: Emergency Services/Civil Defense personnel
         Instructors in Emergency Services Management
         Telecommunications personnel

FROM:    Stanly E. Harter, Communications Coordinator

SUBJECT: POLICY ON THE USE OF AMATEUR RADIO

The Amateur Radio Service is a valuable resource to local
government in time of emergencies both small and large. Many
jurisdictions use trained Amateurs on a regular basis. Others,
regrettably, not at all. This is due in large part to the
retirement of government people knowledgeable in this area and
the disappearance of guidelines and expertise in managing and
utilizing volunteers.

Many local governments use volunteers. They are called deputy
sheriffs, reserve police officers and volunteer firefighters.
Amateur Radio operators used by a government are, in effect,
deputy communicators. They are recruited, enrolled, and
administered in much the same manner as the other volunteers--the
reserve police and fire personnel. These deputy communications
people are called the RACES--the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service.

No local government can use volunteers unless they are registered
Disaster Service Workers. This applies to the use of Amateur
Radio operators as well. The legal risks to government, the
volunteer and their families today are too great.

The enclosures should help take the mystery out of RACES and
clear up misunderstandings about its "who, what, why, where, when
and how".  RACES is not a collection of names to be filed away as
a doomsday resource, anymore than you would with your police and
fire reserves.

We are here to assist in the development of the RACES capability
statewide; the concept, its management and its utilization in a
èfrequent and ongoing manner.  Local government RACES is under the
direction and control of their local government; i.e., there is a
State RACES, many county RACES and city RACES.

Please feel free to call me at [phone] with any questions
or discussion.



Encl.

        ░ ░ !  * * * * *

STATE OF CALIFORNIA                                GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN, Governor
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION
2800 MEADOWVIEW ROAD
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95832
[phone]
Packet: W6HIR @ WA6NWE.CA.USA.NA


                           DISCUSSION


A RACES unit is comprised of Amateur Radio operators enrolled  in
a  specific government to provide its civil defense  director  or
designee with radio communications via the Amateur Radio Service.
Enrollment  is  accomplished in  accordance with  the  California
State  Codes  governing  the registration  and  use  of  Disaster
Service  Workers in the "Communications" class. A  disaster  does
not have to be declared to use RACES personnel. The RACES section
is  usually attached to that government's emergency  preparedness
office  or  to  the  department it  may  delegate,  such  as  the
sheriff's or other department. Hams are encouraged to be  members
of  the  American  Radio  Relay  League's  ARES  (Amateur   Radio
Emergency  Service)  for emergency  communications  training  and
experience.  The distinction is that RACES is a part of  a  State
or a local government, while ARES is a private association.

Many hams confuse "RACES operations", as defined in part 97.407
of the FCC Rules with "RACES operations" as stated by OES.  In
the FCC Rules, to conduct a "RACES net", one must have a declared
disaster or operate under the one hour per week provision during
drills and exercises.  A RACES net in this sense is one where the
control station is using their WC6xxx RACES license callsign,
and/or is stating that "This is a RACES net" where only RACES
members can check in.  If the operation is not conducted on the
air, or in a manner where the "RACES net" is not stated, or the
WC6xxx call is not used, then it is not a RACES net in eyes of
the FCC, even though "RACES" personnel are conducting the
activity.  In a like manner, there does not have to be a declared
emergency for professional OES personnel, paid or volunteer, to
respond to a day-to-day event.

The RACES unit (or by whatever name; e.g., DCS, county    P 8α4
ècommunications auxiliary, etc.) is comprised of those hams who
choose to affiliate primarily with that local government to
provide it communications support.  Some governments even refer
to them as "our deputy communicators" and this is as it should
be.  It is necessary for any RACES staff to know, understand, and
support the government with which they are affiliated.  We
certainly appreciate that such an avocation is not every ham's
cup of tea, just as any form of emergency communications activity
appeals to only a small percentage of the total Amateur Radio
population.

RACES people, being government volunteer employees, often serve
their local government in ways not covered (or intended to be
covered) by FCC rules and regulations.  Examples include serving
on installation and maintenance work parties (ham equipment or
otherwise), reserve 9-1-1 operators, as assistant dispatchers, in
message centers, or in other activities that may appeal to the
volunteers. For many such activities it is not necessary to hold
an Amateur Radio license.  This does not preclude them from
serving in such a unit.

Any one government has only one RACES organization because a
given government has only one civil defense (CD) director.  Or,
as it is more commonly called in this state, an emergency
services (OES) coordinator.  Thus, in this state there can be one
State RACES; it is a section of the telecommunications division
of the State Office of Emergency Services.  There can be up to 58
separate county RACES units, and many city government RACES
units.  The prerequisite is that the government jurisdiction have
a civil defense council in order to have a RACES unit by FCC
definition.

The CD/OES coordinators may, if they choose, delegate the
administration of their jurisdiction's RACES unit to another
department within the same government.  We encourage the
development of one, countywide RACES unit in lieu of a county
RACES plus separate city RACES units -- if the county has the
desire, willingness and capability to do so.  Ventura County, for
example, is a success story in this regard.  By the same token,
regrettably, there are cases of organized and active city CD/OES
RACES and no county organization.

People in the (California) State RACES, for example, are attached
only to one of seven State OES offices: its headquarters or one
of its six region offices.  The State RACES does not direct or in
any manner control any county or city RACES.

Any Amateur may volunteer to serve under the direction of a
CD/OES organization in an emergency, of course.  What other
professional, social or fraternal clubs, associations,
organizations or leagues any volunteer or employee is a member is
not relevant while that volunteer is serving that government.

Some agencies within government have developed their own Amateur
Radio units.  These should not be confused with the RACES.  There
is, understandably, confusion in this regard.  These units may or
may not actually use Amateur Radio in performance of their
duties; i.e., some may have only the requisite that all of its
members are hams.  Such organizations usually serve only that one
governmental agency in which they are a member.  Such units have
been developed by a few police, sheriff's, and fire departments.
There is one at the State level in the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection.  It is not statewide because the
Volunteers in Prevention (VIP) program is elective at the Ranger
Unit level; less than a third of its Ranger Units use hams.  What
is important, however, is that its volunteers (hams and
otherwise) serve under the direction of and as a part of their
agency -- not an outside organization, association, club, etc.
Like the RACES, the VIP program welcomes the participation of and
support from "outside" hams during a major shortage of "ham
power".  Like the RACES program, the VIP program requires
training in, acceptance of, and support of their parent
governmental organization.  Both programs are comprised of
volunteers who choose to affiliate with a structured volunteer
service, meet its minimum requirements, and carry out its mission
with pride and professionalism.

It is State RACES policy that:

     1.  State RACES personnel may not also be members of a
county or city RACES, any more than a law enforcement
officer or fire fighter can belong to two or more
departments.  (One cannot serve two masters at the same
time.)

     2.  State RACES personnel may belong to a CDF&FP VIP unit if
such participation does not weaken or cause their State OES
function to suffer.  By the same token, many VIP members are
members of a RACES unit.  We give the CDF&FP first priority
during the fire season to such personnel.  By the same
token, we are  able to offer VIP volunteers a "wet season"
mission for those who are seeking a year around activity.
In some counties (Riverside, Napa, etc.) the VIP hams are
the RACES unit, too, because the CDF&FP contracts to those
counties to provide the OES function.

     3.  All Amateur Radio operators register as a Disaster
Service Worker with a city, county or the State even if they
choose not to become a "Level A" RACES unit member.  Any
(registered or otherwise) volunteer's offer of assistance
may be accepted, of course, by government in time of an
emergency.  (The volunteer must recognize and accept the
fact, however, that they are working under the direction of
that government through its internal organization.  Yes, the
volunteer will be taking his/her direction, directly or
indirectly,  from another volunteer staff member of that
government.  That reality must be clearly understood up
front.  To have it any other way would be disorganization.
It has been the failure of a few assertive individuals to
accept this tenet that has turned off many local governments
to volunteerism.  I can't tell you how many times a
government official has told me, "I don't have time to
wrestle with prima donnas who want to do it their way."
Long ago I was trained that any type of public safety or
emergency service volunteer serves as a professional -- as
an employee by word, deed and appearance.  The volunteer
doesn't wear that appellation "on their sleeve" and that the
casual observer should mistake them for being an exemplary
employee of the host organization.)


     4.  We support and promote the close cooperation with
American Radio Relay League officials and its special
interest group, the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service).
The State's position has been reflected since 1985 in its
foregoing definition of the RACES.  Perhaps one of the most
common misunderstandings is the belief that the RACES program
guidance, recommendations, practices, policies, and bulletins are
new and "created by the State of California."  Nothing could be
further from the truth. We have simply dusted off the best of
tried and proven RACES program management procedures developed
from New York to Hawaii over my 40 year association with the
RACES and public safety communications.

The RACES history goes back forty years.  Some states and local
jurisdictions have had an ongoing RACES program since its
inception.  Not the State of California.  Most local governments
look to the state government for program guidance.  In California
that diminished circa 1968 and was so highlighted in its
legislative hearings of 1983.  The Sixties saw the reduction or
virtual elimination of Federal matching funds support for the
RACES program; many jurisdictions eliminated paid RACES Radio
Officer positions when this happened.  FEMA's predecessors
dropped all RACES program guidance and positions.  Many felt that
this was exacerbated by the rewrite of the FCC rules governing
the RACES in 1977.  Those who argue that the RACES is a "doomsday
only" program are unaware of the facts or have another agenda. I
have not found a government yet that could not use Amateur Radio
to augment and supplement their regular communications.

The mission or role of every RACES unit may be different but
similar.  In the State RACES, for example, we have identified
that our mission is similar to that of almost any state:  To move
as much letter perfect communications in the least amount of
time.  Until the advent of packet radio we did not have the tech-
nology to adequately meet this mission.  (Remember that the State
RACES is for linking the State Headquarters/EOC with its six
Regions; the Regions, in turn, communicate with their counties;
and counties communicate with their cities and unincorporated
areas.)  This is why packet radio is virtually required today in
any and all state, county and city government EOCs and sites.

We welcome your questions and input.  It is from these that
further guidance and interpretations can be developed by staff
for the weekly State RACES Bulletins and training materials.

                            * * * * *
State of California

M E M O R A N D U M


To:       Howard Shepard, Manager                           Date: July 19, 1988
          State OES RACES Relay Station W6US
          1050 Crest Ave.
          Encinitas, CA  92024



From:     Stan Harter, Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Division
          (State RACES Coordinator; Chief State RACES Radio Officer)

Subject:  CCDN

The attached is how we received your CCDN transmission last night;
thought you might be interested.  Conditions vary and we usually
receive you extremely well.

We have requested a Linear Power Amplifier for our radio in the
budget again -- it was cut last year.  We do the best we can with
what we've got.  If one system doesn't work we have many others;
RACES is just one of them.  We make every effort to maximize our
resources as funds allow.

Some 3, 4 or 5 operators come in here every Monday night, Holidays
included.  Their dedication is terrific.

I always welcome input and discussion from our CCDN stations but,
quite frankly, seldom receive any until its too late.  Our mission
today is a far cry from what is was in 1958, 1968 or even 1978,
but some of the former CCDN stations couldn't or wouldn't change
with us.  This is probably due in no small part to the fact that
CCDN people can't drop into the office frequently as do the other
RACES members.  The weekly State RACES Bulletins, since May 1985,
is intended to clearly define the RACES mission.  At the State
level it is to move the maximum amount of traffic in the minumum
amount of time between State and Incident Command sites.  The
Incident Command System (ICS) was virtually unheard of 10 years
ago.  Today, it is the way things are done and all emergency
government response personnel -- including the RACES -- must
naturally know and understand it.

What are your plans and/or capabilities for HF and VHF packet?
Keith Crandall, K6QIF, our HQ RACES Station Manager, will be in
your area July 28-31 and would like very much to get together with
you.  I am sure that such a meeting would be mutually beneficial
and help bring you up to date on what the State OES is doing.

Your letter to Les Ballinger just this minute arrived.  What
timing! Let me tackle a few of the issues you have brought up and
prior to your meeting with Keith.

RACES_Station:  This is something the FCC has not done in years.
The FCC licensed RACES stations that are still in existence and
are renewed regularly can, indeed, be renewed.   [Re: FCC
97.171(b)].   But RACES Stations and Club Station licenses are a
thing of the past; part 97.173 (Application for RACES station
license) is moot and should be removed in the next rewrite from
the Regulations beacuse it has no applicability today.  George
Hart and the ARRL did much to emascualte the RACES with their last
RACES rule changes (c. 1977), but they were paranoid about
perceived encroachment on the Amateur frequencies by local
governments and by some real abuses my a large southern California
government. So we governments, who were putting RACES to very good
use under the pre-1977 rules (I was telecommunications chief for
the Hawaii State Government), were the "babies thrown out with the
bathwater".  This, coupled with the demise of the RACES and/or
their CD agencies around the country, allowed ARES to flourish to
fill the vacuum.  At the request of the State Legislature, we have
met with considerable success in turning that around, albeit there
are a few diehard ARRL individuals who want no part of any
government running its FCC-chartered Amateur-Radio-for-CD program
(aka RACES) -- they want to tell us what they want or will or will
not do.  This is commonly called the "Tail Wagging the Dog"
syndrome, one of volunteerism's worst diseases.

RACESBUL.029F_&_G:  One of the features of Amateur Radio's value
and effectiveness to the local governments they support is that it
is a tremendous, in-place resource.  This was the major point not
lost on Senator William Campbell and his hearings into why the
State wasn't availing itself of this resource, and their subsequent
mandate to the Governor's Office of Emergency Services that it
(re)establish a program to utilize hams to support the State and
local governments in the emergency communications mission --- aka
the RACES.

You are correct: some packet digipeaters are owned by RACES
members, some are not. We have and will continue to buy
transportable packet terminal and flyaway digipeater packages to
provide IC (Incident Command) communications.  We have a rule of
thumb about existing digipeaters: the thoughput is generally not
worth considering for reliable communications if we must use more
than two digipeaters.  That's why HF packet is going to be more
and more important in our long hauls.  I'm looking forward to the
day where we can have HF access to So. Cal. VHF digipeaters and/or
mailboxes.

AMTOR:  I thoroughly agree that either HF packet and/or AMTOR
should replace HF RTTY for one hop communications between HQ and
Regions 1, 3, 5 and 6.  The attached garble is proof of that.
Without it we are playing games, and there are plenty other nets
and times to play games (casual QSO's serving no OES purpose,
etc.)

CCDN/County/City_OES/RACES:   Cities communicate with their
counties, counties with their State OES Region, and Regions with
HQ.

                        History/Background:

The CCDN was established to test the HQ-Region RACES equipment and
personnel.  CCDN was created in the Fifties for that purpose.  It
was never called a "hard core RACES net" on the air because of the
one-hour limitation [re FCC 97.191(b)], thus enabling us to run
the net as long as we would like to.

A weekly RACES bulletin was written by the OES telecommunications
division chief for use on the weekly net.  The CCDN used to be
conducted during business hours many years ago.  For reasons I am
unaware, it shifted to the evening hours and from the OES offices
to private homes.  I suspect it was (a) lack of licensed Amateurs
at the OES offices (although that was not necessary prior to the
1977 RACES regs rewrite by the FCC) and (b) a lack of RACES
program guidance and support by the paid staff.  It is common
knowledge that the prior two telecommunications chiefs had little
use for Amateur Radio.  One would say, "What do we need amateurs
for? We are professionals."  That has been turned around 180
degrees or we wouldn't be here.

The value of home stations sending and receiving a drill message
with other home stations has little relationship to OES facility-
to-facility communications.  The drill messages, too, were
frivolous and seldom of value. Even a year before I was hired, I
was asked to start writing up some meaningful RACES Bulletins.
Why the Chief State RACES Officer wasn't doing this I was not to
find out until some time later.  A former incumbent said that "All
RACES members are to simply send and receive messages -- not
manage, organize, plan, direct, budget, staff, report or
coordinate a State RACES program."  When it is clear that such
program activities should come first before the first carrier hits
the air, he understandably resigned.  That, coupled with the
understanding of our State RACES mission:

     The mission of the State RACES is to move the maximum amount
     of traffic in the minimum amount of time between State and
     local government facilities and Incident Command sites.

The RACES at any level is not a "home" radio net; it is Amateur
Radio communications at designated points of government
activities.  The mayors, governors, chairmen of the boards, civil
defense directors, et al -- simply do not go to Amateur's homes
to conduct their business of direction and control.  For emergency
response agency personnel (such as the RACES) to practice from
their homes is fine -- to keep informed and hone their personal
operations skills.  The equipment that needs to be tested
periodically by_these_same_operators, however, is the Amateur
Radio equipment at the seats of government and by these same
personnel.  I have seen the best equipment money can buy fail
miserably because the assigned operators chose to stay home and have
nothing to do with the equipment we really counted on them to operate.
Along this same line, we asked a few CCDN (State RACES Relay
Stations) to participate in the RESPONSE'87 exercise between Los
Alamitos and here -- with RTTY, voice or (last ditch) CW.  Fine,
they all agreed -- so far.  Since none had a packet capability
(how did they plan to expeditiously relay the traffic to us?), we
said we would arrange for someone to show up at their State RACES
Relay Station to provide the necessary, expedititious relay at
0400.  "No way!" they said.  So much for "Relay Stations"!  None
of the three stations are with us any longer.  It's a case of the
volunteer not fully understanding the mission, the procedures and
practices of the agency, policies, etc., etc.  So the "old" gets
replaced with the "new" who can grasp the mission.  And age has
nothing to do with it, either.  Some of the new blood outdistances
the retired RACES personnel.

Thanks for all your efforts, Howard.  All of us here appreciate
them and your fine signal.  There is a combined OES Region I-VI
RACES Plan being written for which you could have a key role.  I
suggest you contact our brand new Region VI Communications
Coordinator/Region VI RACES Coordinator John Hudson (WA6HYQ). He
is sharing the office with Don Root (WB6UCK) at Region VI, 2151 E.
D Street - Suite 203A, Ontario CA 91764-4452; [phone].  By
copy of this letter I am making them aware of this discussion.  As
a Relay Station, your principal value will be to them to support
communications with this Headquarters.

cc:  Art Botterell
     John Hudson
     Don Root
     Doyle Workman



                            * * * * *


          P O L I C I E S   A N D   G U I D E L I N E S

                          F O R   T H E

            RADIO  AMATEUR  CIVIL  EMERGENCY  SERVICE

                             in the







              S T A T E   O F   C A L I F O R N I A


                       Issued  August 1985
                      REVISED December 1989


                 POLICIES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE
              RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE

                                    I N D E X
               TITLE                                                 PAGE

             Index...................................................  i

        1.0  DEFINITIONS ............................................  1

             1.1  Function
             1.2  RACES
             1.3  RACES Radio Officer
             1.4  Communications Officer
             1.5  State RACES Coordinator
             1.6  Levels of RACES
             1.7  ARES

        2.0  UTILIZATION ............................................  2

             Frequent usage, training activities, administrative
             and operational procedures, non-emergency missions

        3.0  ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT ............................  3

             3.1  In what department to locate the RACES function
             3.2  Operational Area concept
             3.3  Regions may enroll where no county RACES exists
             3.4  Competent volunteer staff required
             3.5  Appointing a RACES Radio Officer
             3.6  One RACES unit per government
             3.7  State of California Government RACES organization
             3.8  RACES staff organization
             3.9  Radio Officers are unpaid volunteer employees
             3.10 Radio Officers responsible for RACES plans
             3.11 Radio Officer's place in table of organization

        4.0  RACES PLANS ............................................  4

             4.1  Guidelines and format
             4.2  Wartime and peacetime applications
             4.3  Use of annexes for perishable data
             4.4  Frequency coordination responsibilities
             4.5  County RACES Plan
             4.6  Concurrence/approval signatures

        5.0  ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS ................................  6

             5.1  Applications
             5.2  Communications class of Disaster Service Workers
             5.3  Local record checks
             5.4  Identification cards
             5.5  Sign in/Sign out records



                         POLICIES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE
                      RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE

        1.0  DEFINITIONS


        1.1  FUNCTION. The primary function of RACES is to establish  and
        maintain  communications to support government operations  during
        times  of  emergency  with  Amateur  radio  by  persons  properly
        registered  as  Disaster Service Workers.  An  emergency  may  be
        single  or concurrent incidents, or a  major natural  or  manmade
        disaster.   An incident usually involves two or more agencies  of
        the  same  government. Some incidents may involve more  than  one
        government.

        1.2  RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) is not a club,
        detached group, or self-governing activity.  RACES personnel  are
        volunteer  government  employees and enjoy certain  benefits  and
        protection  when  activated for an emergency, training,  or  work
        party under proper authority.

        1.3  RACES RADIO OFFICER.  That person, a licensed Radio Amateur,
        appointed  by the government as chief of its RACES  program.  The
        RACES  Radio  Officer  (or called simply the  Radio  Officer)  is
        considered key staff and part of the initial response team to the
        EOC  (Emergency  Operations Center). The  Radio  Officer  usually
        reports  to the Communications Officer or to the OES  Coordinator
        in his absence.

        1.4   COMMUNICATIONS  OFFICER. That person  responsible  for  the
        overall telecommunications  planning, operations and  maintenance
        for   the   EOC   and   the   governmental   jurisdiction.    The
        Communications Officer is key staff and is a part of the  initial
        response  team  to the EOC. The  Communications  Officer  usually
        reports  direct  to  the OES Coordinator.  At  State  OES  Region
        offices/EOC's, the Region Communications Coordinator serves  this
        role.

        1.5   STATE  RACES COORDINATOR.  That person,  a  licensed  Radio
        Amateur, assigned  by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services
        (the  State  OES) to manage and coordinate the RACES  program  in
        California.  The position is assisted by the State Radio  Officer
        and other volunteer staff.

        1.6   LEVELS OF RACES.   The levels of RACES are the same as  the
        levels  of  government in California. State RACES  personnel  and
        equipment  support the State OES headquarters, its  six  regions,
        mobile strike teams and relay stations.  There are almost as many
        county  RACES  organizations as there are counties  plus  several
        city RACES programs.

        1.7   ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is  administered  by
        the   ARRL   (American  Amateur  Relay  League),   the   national
        association  that represents Amateur Radio operators.   ARRL  and
        ARES  identify  those Amateurs who are  genuinely  interested  in
        emergency   and  public  service  communications.  ARES   largely
        supports  the  non-State and local government needs  for  Amateur
        Radio   --  such  as  the  American  Red  Cross,   other   relief
        organizations, and the important task of post-disaster health and
        welfare  messages.  Many RACES personnel are also  ARES  members.
        Whereas this may appear to be a conflict, OES/government need for
        Amateur  communications (e.g., RACES) may typically be about  10%
        of  the  total Amateur radio involvement in a  disaster  and  the
        other  90% are performing ARES-related communications. State  OES
        joins  ARRL in urging all Amateurs to be in both ARES and  RACES.
        ARES  is managed on the local level by  ARRL-appointed  emergency
        coordinators  or  EC's.  The area served by  an  EC  may  include
        several counties and cities.


        2.0  UTILIZATION

        2.1   RACES  personnel  proficiency and  equipment  readiness  is
        maintained    through    frequent    employment    in    incident
        communications,   exercises,   drills,   training   and   related
        activities, including the installation, maintenance and operation
        of RACES equipment. Skilled and properly licensed technicians may
        also be an emergency maintenance resource during a communications
        emergency.

        2.2  A jurisdiction's OES need not necessarily be involved in  an
        incident for its RACES resources to be activated and utilized.  A
        brush  fire  or  other incident, for example,  may  not  directly
        involve  a local government OES but may use its RACES  resources.
        Whereas  an OES does not sponsor a marathon, it may sanction  the
        use of its RACES as an approved training exercise.

        2.3   Administrative procedures should be developed by the  local
        government OES so that other agencies within the same  government
        may promptly obtain RACES support when needed. The development of
        standard operating procedures is a function of the Radio  Officer
        position.   Certain  radio  operating  procedures   are   already
        established for commonality and standardization.

        2.4   A state of emergency does not have to exist or be  declared
        to activate RACES.  Every effort should be made, in fact, to  use
        RACES resources as frequently as possible so as to maintain  both
        personnel  and equipment in a continuing state of  readiness  and
        proficiency.


        3.0  ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

        3.1  RACES is typically managed by the local government's  office
        of  emergency services/civil defense.  In some counties RACES  is
        administered  by  the sheriff and in some cities by the  fire  or
        police chief.

        3.2   It  is recommended that a county OES administer  one  RACES
        program  to  serve  all of the county  and  its  cities  whenever
        practical  to  more  effectively manage  and  utilize  a  limited
        resource--Amateur  radio operators. RACES personnel may  thus  be
        preassigned  to particular cities or geographic areas.   Separate
        city  OES RACES organizations should be generally  employed  only
        when a city is a large jurisdiction (500,000 or larger) or  where
        a county cannot administer a countywide RACES program.

        3.3   In  those  counties  where  no  OES/Civil  Defense  council
        (disaster council, Stats. 1946 lst Ex. Sess., Ch. 104, as amended
        by  Stats. 1971, Ch. 38) exists, Amateur radio operators  may  be
        enrolled by the State OES Region RACES in which they reside.

        3.4   The  administration of any RACES organization  and  program
        requires  competent,  qualified, and  dedicated  volunteer  staff
        similar  to  other government volunteer programs;  i.e.,  reserve
        deputy sheriffs, volunteer firefighters, reserve police officers,
        search  and  rescue, and similar programs requiring  trained  and
        disciplined volunteers.

        3.5   Any jurisdiction employing RACES resources will  appoint  a
        RACES Radio Officer, referred hereinafter as the Radio Officer. A
        county (or city) Radio Officer reports to a superior in that same
        local  government, most often its Communications Officer  or  OES
        Coordinator.

        3.6   The use of Amateur radio operators in any local  government
        is  established  by only one agency by and for  that  government.
        Different  departments  will not operate separate  Amateur  radio
        programs.   All  requirements for Amateur radio support  will  be
        channeled to the county (or city) Radio Officer.

        3.7  State Government RACES organization.

        State   OES   communications   coordinators   (Telecommunications
        Division  assistant chiefs) assigned to an OES Region or  Regions
        administer   their   region  radio  officer(s).   A   State   OES
        communications coordinator is the State RACES coordinator who, in
        turn,  appoints  the chief radio officer and deputy  chief  radio
        officers   (North   and  South).  The  OES   headquarters   staff
        coordinates  with,  but  does not direct, the  OES  Region  RACES
        staffs.  The State OES headquarters has a State RACES Coordinator
        and  a  State Chief Radio Officer; each of its six  regions  will
        have a Region Radio Officer.  There may be two deputy chief radio
        officers;  one  for North (OES Regions 2,3,4 and 5) and  one  for
        South  (Regions 1 and 6).  Region Radio Officers report to  their
        respective Region Communications Coordinators. All are a part and
        resource  of  the State OES Telecommunications Division.  In  the
        absence of the region communications coordinator, a region  radio
        officer reports to the OES Region Manager.  Region radio officers
        promote  the  development and utilization of  the  Amateur  Radio
        resources,  RACES plans, and RACES organizations  throughout  the
        Region; provide a resource management capability for mutual  aid;
        and maintain close liaison with ARRL officials.

        Region  radio  officers appoint and manage their  assistants  and
        staff.  They  coordinate with county radio officers but  have  no
        direction  or control over them. Region radio officers report  to
        their  OES  Region communications coordinator and/or  the  Region
        manager.

        3.8  Radio Officers at all levels will appoint a staff to  assist
        them  in properly carrying out a viable RACES program  capability
        to support their jurisdiction. Assistant radio officers should be
        appointed to (a) serve in the absence of the radio officer in  an
        emergency  and  (b)  to  carry  out  day  to  day  administrative
        functions.   The  latter may  include  training,  administration,
        personnel, operations, maintenance, public relations, et  cetera.
        State  OES  has  prepared  written  job  descriptions  for  radio
        officers  and operators that may be used by all levels  of  RACES
        management;  they  may  be modified and expanded  to  meet  local
        requirements.

        3.9   The  Radio Officer is the  principal  management  volunteer
        through  whom  the local government  jurisdiction  employs  RACES
        resources.   In this regard the jurisdiction should  support  the
        position  with work space, clerical, mailing, telephone  use  and
        other  costs  or  assistance  normally  associated  with  program
        management.

        3.10   The Radio Officer and staff is responsible for  preparing,
        amending and updating a local government RACES Plan that conforms
        to the requirements of the Federal and State governments.

        3.11     The  Radio  Officer  position  reports  to   the   RACES
        Coordinator where one is used in the management structure. At the
        local level, the emergency management agency may prefer that  the
        Radio  Officer  report  to  their  telecommunications   director,
        operations  manager,  or  similar position in the  agency  or  in
        another department of the same county or municipal government. If
        a  RACES  coordinator  is employed, it is  recommended  it  be  a
        position oriented towards emergency operations and preferably not
        a  position  limited primarily to the  technical  or  maintenance
        functions in telecommunications.



        4.0  RACES PLANS

        4.1   State OES provides the guidelines and format for the  RACES
        Plan.   The local governments and the six State OES Regions  must
        adapt  the  format to satisfy their unique needs.  These  factors
        should  be  kept  in mind when  selecting  and  appointing  Radio
        Officers.

        4.2   RACES  Plans  will  address  both  wartime  and   peacetime
        applications.

        4.3   Much  of  the old RACES plan  format  contained  temporary,
        perishable,  operational and otherwise variable information  that
        made  them unwieldy and cumbersome to amend. The new  California
        format  moves  this type of information into  annexes  which  the
        jurisdiction  may more readily update and issue as required.  The
        basic  plan body will include a signatory page (see  para.  4.6).
        The   annexes  will  not  require  a  signatory   page,   thereby
        facilitating  amended pages as often as required with  the  least
        burden.    Names,  rosters,  resources,  frequencies  and   other
        perishable  information  will henceforth  appear  in  appropriate
        annexes  or standard operating procedures in accordance with  the
        State's model plan.

        4.4  All radio Officers will coordinate frequencies through their
        OES Region prior to writing or amending frequencies in any  plan.
        Inter-region  coordination  will  also  be  accomplished,   where
        required, before transmitting the plan to State OES  headquarters
        through their appropriate Region headquarters.

        4.5   Every county RACES plan must address three basic levels  of
        communications:

        4.5.1     Intra-government requirements.

        4.5.2     County to city governments; i.e., EOC to EOC.

        4.5.3     County to Region. Note: Counties do not normally comm-
                  unicate directly to State OES headquarters in Sacra-
                  mento but to their appropriate Region headquarters.

        4.6  Every RACES Plan will have a concurrence/approval  signatory
        page for the signatures and date of the following positions:

        4.6.1     City RACES Plans:

                       City Radio Officer
                       City Communications Officer (if any)
                       City OES Coordinator
                       County Radio Officer
                       State OES Region Radio Officer
                       State OES Region Communications Coordinator
                       State RACES Radio Officer or Coordinator

                       Local   administrative   practices   may   require
        additional  signatories but they are not required for  the  State
        OES copies.

        4.6.2     County RACES Plans:

                       County Radio Officer
                       Communications Director (if applicable)
                       OES Coordinator
                       State OES Region Radio Officer
                       State OES Region Communications Coordinator
                       State RACES Radio Officer and Coordinator
                  Local  administrative practices may require  additional
        signatories but they are not required for the State OES copies.

        4.6.3     State OES Region RACES Plans:

                       Region Radio Officer
                       Region Communications Coordinator
                       State Radio Officer
                       State RACES Communications Coordinator
                       Telecommunications Division Chief or Deputy Chief

        4.6.4     State RACES Plan:

                       Each Region Communications Coordinator
                       State Radio Officer
                       State RACES Coordinator
                       Chief, Telecommunications Division



        5.0  ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS

        5.1  APPLICATION.  Applications to the RACES are made by  Amateur
        radio operators to the city, county or State OES office of  their
        choice.   The  application will include the form  prescribed  for
        registering State of California disaster service workers and  the
        loyalty oath (Govt. Code sections 2015, 3102, 3211, 8589 and  the
        California  Emergency Council Rules &  Regulations).   Applicants
        will  be  registered  in  the  ""Communicationstions"  class   of
        disaster  service  workers.   A city, county, or  the  State  may
        require the completion of other applicable forms.

        5.2   "COMMUNICATIONS"  CLASS. The California  Emergency  Council
        Rules  &  Regulations describes this class  of  disaster  service
        worker (section C3) as:

             Communications.  Operate and maintain various comm-
             unications systems, including wire and radio facilities,
             and perform messenger service, to assist officials and
             individuals in the protection of life and property.

        5.3   LOCAL RECORD CHECK.  All applicants for the RACES  will  be
        free  of  felony  convictions and  subject  to  background  check
        verification.  RACES  personnel are different  from  the  average
        Disaster  Service  Worker in that they have  access  to  valuable
        government   property;  may  serve  in  areas  where  access   is
        restricted  to  personnel requiring  law  enforcement  background
        clearances; frequently have access to restricted or  confidential
        information  and  records; will handle messages  of  confidential
        content;  and  are  highly visible to  the  public,  where  their
        deportment  and actions must reflect favorably upon their  office
        of authority at all times.

        5.3.1     Authorization to Release Information.    Each local
                  government will prepare a form with this title and  the

                  following statement:


                       "As an applicant for the position of Radio Amateur
                       Civil Emergency Service operator with (name of
                       government), I am required to furnish information
                       for use in determining my qualifications.  In this
                       connection, I authorize release of any and all in-
                       formation that you may have concerning me, includ-
                       ing information of a confidential or privileged
                       nature.

                       "I  hereby  release  you,  your  organization,  or
                       others from liability or damage that may result
                       from furnishing the information requested.  This
                       release  will  expire  60  days  after  the   date
                       signed.
                                       "Signed___________________________
                                       "Date_____________________________"

        (Applications will not be processed without the applicant signing
        and  dating  the Authorization to Release Information.  A  sample
        Release Form is available from any State OES office.)

        5.3.2      Upon receipt of a completed application for the  RACES
        with  the  release  form (above) and a copy  of  the  applicant's
        Amateur  radio  license  issued  by  the  Federal  Communications
        Commission, the local OES will request a record check by its  law
        enforcement agency; city OES agencies will direct the request  to
        their  chief of police, counties to their sheriff, and State  OES
        offices to State OES Headquarters.

        5.4  IDENTIFICATION CARDS.  Upon recommendation for acceptance by
        the  proper law enforcement office (para. 5.3),  the  appropriate
        OES  will issue the applicant an identification card  or  written
        RACES certification.

             (a)  There  are two levels of RACES participation.  LEVEL  1
        personnel are those who are regular volunteer staff of this RACES
        unit,  they have accepted a job responsibility, and  have  agreed
        that the RACES is their primary Amateur Radio emergency  response
        activity.   It  is recommended that LEVEL 1 staff  volunteers  be
        issued  a government ID card the same as or similar to that  used
        for its regular employees.

        State   LEVEL   1  RACES  personnel  are  issued  a   State   OES
        identification  card the same as or similar to that of  employees
        and a laminated Registered Disaster Service Worker photo ID card.
        State  OES  does  not  issue permanent  ID  cards  to  its  RACES
        personnel until after a minimum 180 days probation period.   This
        practice is recommended to all local governments.

             (b)  LEVEL 2 volunteers are those who choose not to serve as
        staff  but may be available to work in some emergency.   LEVEL  2
        personnel  are  not issued a government identification  card  the
        same as or similar to that of employees.  They may be issued a
        generic Registered Disaster Service Worker card.

        5.4.1     It is recommended that the ID card be the same as  that
        used by the agency or local government concerned, since that card
        is readily recognized by the jurisdiction involved.

        5.4.2     It is recommended that the expiration date be  three to
        five   years   hence,  and  that  no   identification   card   or
        certification be marked "indefinite".

        5.4.3     Identification cards are the property of the government
        concerned.  They  will  be surrendered to  that  government  upon
        termination  as  a volunteer with its OES, for misuse of  the  ID
        card,  misconduct  or  for cause. The  volunteer  should  sign  a
        statement  to  the affect that he/she understands the  terms  and
        responsibilities of being issued a government ID card and serving
        as a volunteer employee of that government.

        5.4.4      It  is recommended that an ID card consist of  a  full
        face  (passport  style)  photograph  and that  all  ID  cards  be
        laminated.  Consider using the style with the cutout and clip for
        wearing   on   an  outer  garment  while  working  in   an   EOC,
        communications center, or other controlled facility.

        5.4.5     The State does not issue a general, statewide identifi-
        cation  card  nor  does it contemplate one  in  the  future.  The
        control  over individual ID cards is necessary to the  successful
        employment  of such cards. This is not practical with a  generic,
        mass produced card.

        5.5  Volunteers must sign on and off duty, and/or be recorded  by
        an  appropriate official of that government, whenever serving  in
        any function such as drills, training, exercises, work parties or
        actual  operations. Said record must contain the name,  date  and
        time  on  duty,  and date and time off  duty.   Records  will  be
        retained  by the appropriate office of emergency services  for  a
        period of not less than one (1) year.

                                    * * * * *

        Rev. 4  Level 1 and Level 2 volunteers defined in para. 5.4.


                            * * * * *

INTERVIEW  WITH STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX, AMATEUR  RADIO  SERVICE
COORDINATOR,  CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

                               by

                 DON AND CATHY GAUBATZ, EDITORS
                       "SVECS NEWSLETTER"
         SILICON VALLEY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
                          CUPERTINO, CA


SVECS: Tell us about the weekly State RACES Bulletins you put out.
HARTER:  The weekly RACES BULLETINS are intended for and
addressed to the CD/ES agencies and the hams that serve them.
That is why most of them are non-technical in nature and stress
the management and Amateur-government relationship issues. More
than once I have received a phone call from a county CD/ES
Coordinator that leads of with "We have a fine RACES group here"
and then proceed  to ask a question about ham radio. I will reply
to them and add that that particular matter was addressed in a
RACES BULLETIN on such-and-such date. "What's a RACES BULLETIN?"
they will ask. I may gently chide the callers by reminding them
that they had just said they have a good RACES group, yet they
are not delivering the weekly messages to the CD/OES office as
intended to preclude the out-of-sight-is-out-of-mind problem. One
county ES Coordinator said. "Aha! My hams have been bugging us to
buy this and that for them. Now I'm going to ask them where are
all the messages I am supposed to be getting?" She reported later
that her (new replacement) Radio Officer is now doing what a
Radio Officer is supposed to do, she is getting the weekly
BULLETINS, and she bought the $1,800 worth of antennas, radios,
packet terminal, etc.

SVECS:  You must have a large postage bill.
HARTER:  No, not at all. Whenever a government says "How about
mailing the BULLETINS to us?" I reply that this defeats the very
purpose of what we hams are for -- radio communications. Not to
mention the horrendous postage bill to 58 counties, over 200
cities, and some 25 states that want them. We do mail them to
ARRL, WorldRadio, those counties that are so remote they are out
of range of a packet BBS, and to those club newsletters and other
publications that reprint them. Anyone may quote from, copy or
reproduce any RACES BULLETIN with attribution.

We are aware, of course, that there are some pockets of ham radio
that, for various reasons, do not want their CD/OES to see the
BULLETINS or have anything to do with "that RACES". These are the
people who say to government, in effect, "We play it our way or
not at all."

Conversely, there are a few CD/OES managers who "want no part of
hams" because of some bad episode in their past. It may have been
the employee's fault or it may have been a ham's. These
roadblocks are sometimes tough to overcome until the incumbent
manager retires and vacates their CD/OES position.

Here in California there is an even bigger problem that took me a
couple of years on this job to recognize: Very, very few
government people today have any experience in working with and
managing volunteers. Volunteers should be made aware of this
fact. Most CD/OES administrators/coordinators not only haven't
managed volunteers -- most have little or no experience in
managing people at all. This is because the majority come from a
planning or consultant background. In the majority of
jurisdictions in California the ES coordinator is an advisory
capacity with no command function, even in an emergency.

SVECS:  Is it that way everywhere?
HARTER:  In Hawaii, where I lived for 27 years, all CD directors
and staff are required to bring with them "command" experience.
When three or more government departments become involved with
the same emergency, the CD director becomes the responsible
command authority -- quite unlike California. Volunteers serving
any agency there are of the frame of mind that says, "Here I am.
I bring certain skills with me and want to learn more. What can I
do for you? What is it you want me to do?" Then they either
accept the program or walk if it is not their cup of tea. The
Amateur population in Hawaii in the RACES is the same as urban
areas here on the Mainland -- 6%. Any volunteer is politely but
firmly told that there are minimum training, participation,
performance and deportment requirements that every volunteer must
meet. Offers of assistance from volunteers not pre-enrolled are
seldom accepted.

SVECS:  Can you describe any resistance to the use of Amateur
Radio?
HARTER:  I learned that promoting the use of Amateurs to some
CD/OES coordinators in California fell flat because they are
simply overwhelmed with the thought of having to manage people --
any people. Why? For the reason I just mentioned; their
background did not have or call for such experience. So today,
once I have obtained an agreement in principle that Amateur Radio
operators could and should augment their emergency
communications, I will steer the discussion of the management of
this resource into another department. In other words, if the
CD/OES coordinator would feel more comfortable delegating this
program to another department head -- fine, let's identify that
department. It usually then winds up with the sheriff, police
chief, or the fire chief. The latter is often good because they
understand the ICS -- the Incident Command System. And they all
have something in common: they know how to train and manage
volunteers.

SVECS:  Can you give us an example of a problem with the local
government?
HARTER:  One day I received a telephone call from a county OES
Coordinator. He said that when he read my RACES BULLETIN that
stated that the Radio Officer should be treated like a regular,
paid member of the staff and attend staff meetings if and when
possible, he hit the roof. He went on to say that his
communications officer (to whom a radio officer should report)
was a ham "who tended to monopolize the staff meetings, and you
want me to invite another ham to our staff meetings? No way! As
it is I don't call out my RACES anymore. They're just a bunch of
old f[ogie]s who can't do anything. I call out the ARES." Well, I
had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him that he has the
management problem if he can't understand span of control, how to
manage meetings, how to fire his inactive or incompetent
volunteers ("RACES"), how to handle the prima donnas in short
order, and how to replace at least the key county RACES staff
from the available ARES pool that are qualified. With his
negative attitude or ignorance towards hams, and by keeping them
at arm's length, I'm afraid he won't have any hams if and when he
needs them.

A closing thought on what turns off some CD/ES staff and other
government people about us hams. Many of us don't know how to
talk to non-hams in plain English. The mental shades are drawn
after thirty seconds of alphabet soup, abbreviations and ham
jargon. I have been a volunteer in several government
organizations since 1951. The first thing I learned was that we
are never accepted unless and and until we do things their way;
i.e., "Walk, talk and look like them," as one volunteer captain
aptly said. There is a lot of truth to that. The second thing is
"It's not what you know it's who you know." The best known group
of volunteers know this; reserve police officers, deputy
sheriffs, and volunteer firefighters know this. Now we are
talking about that new (to some jurisdictions) group of
volunteers, their deputy communicators -- the RACES. Now you know
why most of my time is spent educating and selling government
people on why and how they can use willing Amateur Radio
operators. It's up to those of you at the local level to make it
work in a professional manner.

To me, the highest complement that can be paid to any volunteer
is to have them mistaken for employees who are a credit to their
organization. I have no truck with those who wear their
volunteerism on their sleeve. (Yes, I am aware of the instances
where the volunteer is better than the employee!)

SVECS:  Who is Stan Harter and what does he have to do with the
average Joe Ham who is volunteering his services? How does the
State OES relate to the local organization?"
HARTER:  Senator William Campbell conducted hearings in 1983 on
the status of disaster preparedness communications in California.
Out of the testimony came the facts that the Emergency Broadcast
System was in shambles and that the vast Amateur Radio resource
was not seriously being utilized by the State and local
governments. The legislature mandated that the Governor's Office
of Emergency Services address these problems and funded a new
position to coordinate these programs in 1985. I retired in 1982
as assistant civil defense director and chief of telecommuni-
cations for the Hawaii State government. A search of the records
showed that the organized structure and program for state and
local government civil defense directors (or their designees) to
use Amateurs died out in most of California in the mid-Sixties.

SVECS:  What is the RACES and why did it die in California?
HARTER:  The program for Amateurs so enrolled in a government is
called the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). Further
study reveals that there are two primary reasons the RACES died
in California and many --but not all-- jurisdictions:

(a) The Federal government stopped its flow of matching funds
with which to buy and maintain RACES equipment. This included the
matching funds for many Radio Officer positions across the land.
The Federal civil defense agency lost its RACES program guidance
positions and the flow of manuals and guidance stopped
forevermore.

(b) Many jurisdictions and individuals erroneously perceived the
RACES program to be primarily intended for wartime, nuclear
attack preparedness, the shelter program, population relocation
programs, and declared disasters. This was, unfortunately,
further promoted by ARRL's actions circa 1977.

The growth of the ARES in many areas was done in the vacuum
created by the absence of the RACES. The people can be the same
but the roles and missions of each, however, are not.

SVECS:  Tell us some more about what you do.
HARTER:  I am the coordinator of the Amateur Radio Service
(RACES) and the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) programs for the
State of California; assistant chief of its Office of Emergency
Services Telecommunications Division; currently the State RACES
Radio Officer (until a volunteer replacement can be recruited);
and the Vice-Chairman of the FCC's State Emergency Communications
Committee (SECC) for California. I have held Commercial FCC
license since 1950, Civil Air Patrol station license since 1951,
Amateur Radio license since 1964, and a MARS call since 1965.
I'm a member of the ARRL, the IEEE, the Associated-Public Safety
Communications Officers, and a Fellow if the Radio Club of
America.  I have been a volunteer since 1950 variously in the
Civil Air Patrol, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, U.S. Forest
Service (Communications Unit Leader red card), Hawaii State
Forestry Fire Communications Officer, Hawaii State Fish and Game
warden, Hawaii State Law Enforcement officer, Emergency Medical
Services, State Highway Safety Council, Hawaii State RACES Radio
Officer, and Kern County Sheriff's Department. I was a sworn law
enforcement officer for 22 years.

SVECS: What do you have to do with the average Joe Ham who is
volunteering his services?  How does the State OES relate to the
local organization?
HARTER:  The first part of this question is a little tough
because I am not sure what is an average Joe Ham. Studies of
urban areas have shown that about 18% of the Amateur population
is connected with or interested in the total public service
aspect of Amateur Radio; i.e., the NTS, Red Cross, ARES, RACES,
MARS and similar activities.  Some of the 18% are fairly active,
a few are very active and dedicated, and the majority can turn it
on or off when they feel like it without it seriously impacting
anyone else. Now, how many of the hams in the same urban area are
interested in being a part of a structured, governmental activity
(RACES, VIP) where their participation and support will be
expected? Less than 6%. That is not a critical observation, it is
simply a fact. In rural areas, of course, the figure grows much
larger.

The governmental structure of California is such that the State
may provide program guidance and recommendations to its counties,
but not direction and control unless the State is also providing
the resources.  If a qualified firefighter is seeking employment,
he or she may join one department. The same is true for a
volunteer firefighter; he or she affiliates with one department.
And so it is with the RACES, following good management concepts
and the intent of the Federal Communications Commission. Since
there are three levels of local government in California (State,
county and city) there are the same levels of RACES as there are
government. All are part of a strong mutual aid system observed in
California, a system that is envied by or absent in most states.

The State Office of Emergency Services relates to the local
governments through our structure of six Regions. You live,
for example, in State OES Region II. State OES Headquarters
has a State RACES Coordinator; that is my position. The volunteer
State RACES Radio Officer and staff report to the RACES
Coordinator. The State OES Regions (and State government
departments having Amateur Radio resources) also have an employee
RACES Coordinator; this position is filled by the Region
Communications Coordinator or, if vacant, by another employee as
additional duties. The volunteer Region Radio Officer coordinates
with the county Radio Officers and they, in turn, are expected to
maintain good liaison with city Radio Officers. All RACES staff
("Level 1" volunteers) at any level serve to provide leadership
of other hams ("Level 2" volunteers) wanting to serve temporarily
in any emergency and whose services have been requested and/or
accepted.  State RACES maintains good relations with the ARRL
leadership positions; we urge all county and city RACES to do
likewise.

If you don't have or would like to have them, we have
papers available that describe Level 1/Level 2 volunteers,
positions descriptions for county and city Radio Officers. The
majority of Level 2 volunteers coming out to assist government
come from the ARES who are registered Disaster Service Workers.

One element of a good RACES unit that may not be fully understood
by other hams and government employees alike is that there is (or
should be) plenty to keep them busy outside of emergencies. Here
at our office we have enough for about a dozen hams with various
skills to sink their teeth into and do a professional job without
ever having an emergency activation. A lot of our 200+ employees
here think they are employees! And that's the way we all like it.
The same people who think we volunteers who perform hours a week
this way without pay are crazy. But they think the same of the
others, too: reserve police officers and deputy sheriffs,
volunteer on-call firefighters and EMT's, CAP and sheriff's
department search and rescue personnel, and on and on. That's the
same caliber of volunteer who is an active Level 1 RACES person.

SVECS:   Summarize your thoughts on the recent Emergency Response
Institute, what was accomplished and its value to Joe Ham.
HARTER:  The ERI, as I understood its goals, was right on target
in 1987 and 1988. I perceived it to be a common meeting ground
for emergency response agency personnel and Amateur Radio
operators; a seminar to cross pollinate, to enable each to better
understand the mission, capabilities and deficiencies of the
other; a first of its kind (to my knowledge in 42 years of public
safety communications); the brainchild of a ham in public safety
(Dave Larton) who had the time, energy, enthusiasm and fortitude
to pull it off. ERI-87 and ERI-88 was his doing with the
participation and support of public agencies individual Amateurs.
I was so impressed with ERI-87 and the very favorable comments
from the public safety participants that I made sure that many
more government officials and Radio Officers attended ERI-88.
Everyone who I spoke to who attended agreed.

SVECS: That's good. Now what about ERI-89?
HARTER:  I got different signals this time with the ERI-89
agenda. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something said "Don't
go pitch the agency professionals and volunteer staff this year."
I'm glad I didn't. I will be blunt. It was nothing like the ERI-
87/88. What was ERI-89? It was an ARRL Section meeting or
training session. Not that there is anything wrong with that;
please don't misunderstand me. It's just that it was a major
departure from what was a successful formula. Maybe other
agencies felt the same way. Why did one of the primary features,
the 49er Fire critique, fail to materialize? Why were we
subjected to ARRL internal business -- so totally absent (and not
missed) in '87 and '88? Many of us were not even aware that '87
and '88 were ARRL functions. If I had all of the government
people come this year that came last year, I think they would
have left for home Saturday afternoon.  Many of us feel that the
direction of ERI was taken away from Dave Larton by a local ARRL
official. This reduced the statewide appeal for broad based
participation to one intended for Santa Clara area hams only.

SVECS:  Where do you think the ERI should be headed in future
sessions? What topics would you suggest and would you change the
format?
HARTER: One, I think it should return to the 87/88 format.
Two, don't be afraid of repeating the majority of the sessions at
each ERI.  Three, don't try to introduce new sessions simply in
an attempt to be different from last year. Four, if you really
want statewide government, organizations, and ham attendance --
return to the 87/88 approach; if you want mostly a get-together
of local hams and an ARRL function, keep it the way it is.
Five, reduce or eliminate promoting computer programs or ideas
that are not yet used; i.e., we perceived it to be a program
looking for clients. The ERI should not be the forum to introduce
new or untried procedures to people, many of whom have difficulty
grasping existing policies, practices and procedures.
Six, there was insufficient time to properly address the Disaster
Service Worker subject at this ERI. The audience had many
questions that went unanswered because of lack of time. Several
participants told me they felt it was almost intentional; that
they sensed a strong inference this year of "the ARRL people
saying here is the way we do things and here is how we are going
to do it for 'them", whether they like it or not."  This attitude
is the biggest turnoff identified by government officials on the
subject of radio hams -- whether it's warranted or not. It's one
I face daily in my dealing with governments in promoting their
use of Amateurs. I have to really stress that the hams will do
things the way the jurisdiction wants them done -- then I pray
they will. I remember a sign I saw on the door to a meeting of
volunteers once: PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR.

SVECS:  How about writing a Bulletin about "Joe Ham who signs up
for emergency work but doesn't bother to show up for meetings,
doesn't participate in events, can't be bothered with training
sessions, but is always ready for the Big One".
HARTER:  I'll tell you what, how about you writing it and sending
to me? We always welcome input from the field and this subject is
a good one.
I am reminded of the post-1986 flood critique of Amateur Radio
operations at a nearby county courthouse. The new city OES
coordinator invited me to sit in on it as an observer. (Remember,
we at State don't tell the counties and cities what to do.)
Finally, one senior ham stood up and said, "I don't or won't sign
up with anybody. But I'll always come out and help in an
emergency."
"What do I do with a person like that?" the OES Coordinator
whispered in my ear.
"What person?" said I. "I didn't hear anyone. I didn't see
anyone, did you?"
He got the point and smiled.

SVECS:  Thank you. Any closing thoughts?
HARTER:  Please tell any ham that if they have a question,
suggestion or idea -- write or packet it to me. My packet BBS
address is W6HIR @ WA6NWE.CA. We always welcome questions and
input.

                            * * * * *

----------------------------------------------------------------

                      POSITION DECSRIPTIONS
                             for the
              RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE

Please see separte file for Position Descriptions.


                            * * * * *

INFORMATION COPY
TO:     [e-mail]
SUBJ:   RACES Bulletins

November 19, 1991
To: Bill Neal, N0NSA
From: Stan Harter, KH6GBX, State Office of Emergency Services,
Sacramento, CA

        I was out of state all of August so please excuse my
delay in replying to your packet message. Welcome to the many
facets of Amateur Radio. Emergency communications is just one
interest area and a small one at that, since only about 6% of
urban hams are into the delivery of serious, professional level
emergency communications. You asked, "How come the info in that
is (sic) the RACES Bulletins have info that relates to Amateur
Radio a majority of the time? It is addressed to all emergency
management agencies/offices with info to RACES operators and
Amateurs."  One reason is that in many areas the relations
between the volunteers and government have failed is because
they, simply put, went their separate ways. At best, it may have
deteriorated to an official saying, "Don't call us; we'll call
you." Because of our agency's efforts and successes, however,
more and more governments are asking for the type of information
in the RACES bulletins and the printed program management
materials. This is the type of assistance and support that used
to be provided by FEMA.
        Yes, some Bulletins really apply only to the volunteers.
Whether they are hams or not is not as important as being a
dependable emergency communications resource in one's community.
It is important that government people and volunteers meet,
train, and work together. If a civil defense agency doesn't care
about volunteers in general and hams in particular, I would
surmise that they do not have a communications officer and a
RACES officer. If they do, they are not  doing their job. I'm not
being controversial; that's simply a fact.
        "But the agencies don't really care what the current
trends in Amateur Radio are..."  Of course not. The RACES
Bulletins address mostly management topics with a few technical
topics. It's the stuff of interest to the Radio Officer and
sometimes his/her paid superior. If the local government doesn't
have a Radio Officer and staff volunteers -- then I can't offer
any suggestions or solutions. Yes, we have local governments who
are not interested in volunteers, don't have any, and don't want
any. There is no simple solution. We tell would-be volunteers
they should consider associating with the next closest
jurisdiction or wait for their disinterested principal(s) to
resign, be replaced, retire, or expire.
        Any "communications auxiliary" approach is designed to
eliminate the license barriers and emphasize the individual's
professional skills in working enthusiastically within a
government team. It doesn't take any license to type messages or
situation reports into a computer. Or to talk on a radio -- any
radio. Or help in scores of other ways. I've only been a ham for
thirty years and all of them in emergency, public safety related
Amateur radio -- not be confused with National Traffic System or
Health and Welfare. They both have their place, to be sure, but
they are not a RACES function. In all these years I have found
the quantity of quality volunteers to be inversely proportional
to the grade of their Amateur Radio license.
        Any team of enthusiastic, dedicated, qualified, and
competent volunteers in any government agency will attract like
people. Such agencies seldom have to recruit people. The agency's
program sells itself. Quality -- not quantity.
        You stated, "These agencies don't really care what the
current trends in Amateur Radio are unless it interferes with any
help that the Amateur community lends to their operations. And I
can sort of understand that way of thinking. They have other
things to think about than (sic) for instance: Amateur public
relations." I'm not sure what this means. Perhaps some of it was
lost in transmission. I agree that an agency can't be concerned
with Amateur Radio trends; that's the job of their Radio Officer.
Nor need they be concerned with Amateur public relations. The
Radio Officer and the other sworn RACES and other communications
personnel have their work cut out for them. Public relations is
not necessarily an issue. The agency, you see, should not be
dealing with "outsiders". It recruits and builds its own
organization. They, in turn, supervise any disaster-related
volunteers whose services may be accepted. There are those who
don't want to be a part of the established agency organization
but may come out of the woodwork in an emergency. If they are
needed, then they should be used without acrimony. If that policy
is stated up front, it should take care of the public relations.
        Additional information is available by sending us a 3-1/2"
diskette.  On it we will place all of the Bulletins to date.
Also included is the policy manual, model RACES plan, RACES
position descriptions, and other aids requested by jurisdictions
over the years.  Printed, camera-ready Bulletins are available to
anyone providing us a supply of 1st class business size SASE; we
will mail them out four at a time. Thirteen envelopes last a
year.
        I hope this answers some of your questions. Thanks for
the opportunity and the time you took in writing. 73, Stan
KH6GBX @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA

                             * * * * *

End