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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 (916)427-4281 with any questions or discussion. Encl. ░ ░ ! * * * * * STATE OF CALIFORNIA GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN, Governor OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION 2800 MEADOWVIEW ROAD SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95832 (916) 427-4281 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; (714)391-4485. 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: n0nsa@wb0blr.ia.usa.na 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