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SUBJECT: EQUIPMENT LIABILITY * * * * * End 1986 Bulletins * * * * * STATE RACES BULLETINS - 1987 TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES/OFFICES via your Amateurs ALL RACES OPERATORS (via W6NKR every Monday except holidays on 3545.5 KHz at 1900 hrs CW 15 WPM and 1930 hrs LSB 60 and 100 WPM radioteletype) ALL OES REGIONS ALL AMATEURS IN CA (via your local scheduled nets) FROM: W6HIR HEADQUARTERS STATE OES SACRAMENTO STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 01/87 SUBJECT: EQUIPMENT LIABILITY 1. QUESTION: WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE IF ANY OF MY EQUIPMENT IS DAMAGED OR LOST ON A RACES MISSION? ANSWER: An official answer to this question is pending from the Director of State OES. To date, it has been understood and accepted that the volunteer is solely responsible for his property used when his volunteer services are accepted by a local government or the C.A.P. The volunteer may seek relief through his insurance company and/or a casualty loss in his tax returns filed with the IRS. Any volunteer seeking relief for an out-of- pocket expense or loss should address their concerns to the local government agency to which they are a part. If they are concerned in this area they should probably obtain their local government's policy or position in this matter before continuing as a volunteer. 2. QUESTION: What if a local government commandeers a volunteer's equipment or property, such as appropriating a private vehicle? ANSWER: Submit a claim to that government. 3. QUESTION: If I don't get satisfaction from my government, can I go to the next highest jurisdiction? ANSWER: No. If you are with a city RACES, for example, you are serving only that city jurisdiction--even if city, county and/or State RACES may be involved with the same mission. Volunteers cannot serve more than one jurisdiction at any given time. This latter point may be the least understood by many volunteers and should be emphasized by all State, county and city OES personnel--both paid and volunteer staff. Signed/ Stan Harter, KH6GBX, CA State RACES Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on Monday, January 26, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 02/87 SUBJECT: MONO COUNTY HAMS WANTED Are there any hams in Mono County? Several sources say there are only two hams in the entire county. Can this be true? Mono County OES wants to contact every ham living in Mono County. Please notify us callsign and any other info by return message via the CCDN, mail, or WESTNET packet to W6HIR @ WA6NWE. Are there any Mono hams out there? Sgd/Marion Henson, W6NKR, CA State Chief RACES Officer STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 03/87 SUBJECT: COUNTY-STATE COMMUNICATIONS LINKS ATTENTION: COUNTY RACES OFFICERS Counties activated should upcome a circuit to your OES Region ASAP to maintain intelligence flow and mutual aid support because it is often impossible to reach you by telephone. STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 04/87 SUBJECT: RACES PAMPHLETS Many of you have asked for the subject FEMA Number L-136/July 83 pamphlets. We are out of stock and FEMA Washington D.C. advises us that they are being reprinted. We are on back order for two thousand copies. We call your attention, however, to a similar pamphlet prepared by the San Diego County OES which we feel is a superior publication. It shows in detail what RACES can really do if it is trained and organized. We recommend it to all RACES units. Call San Diego (619)-565-5080 for a copy or State OES RACES at (916)427-4281. STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 05/87 SUBJECT: NEWS A high frequency log periodic antenna was installed at OES headquarters in Sacramento by the efforts of 11 hams, two commercial sky hook crane operators, three Sacramento firefighters with a 150-foot snorkel and 6 State employees. The hams assembled the KLM 40-through-10 meter log periodic on the ground and awaited less windy weather before it was hoisted atop a 75-foot tower. A special thanks to these hams for a job well done: Les Ballinger WA6EQQ, Herb Bennett KA6VHF, Jim Buckman N6HOS, Bob Cloud W6CFQ, Keith Crandall K6QIF, Marion Henson W6NKR, Herb Hildebrand W6UBI, Chris Huber N6ICW, Norm Nelson KA6YRC, and Jim Pratt N6IG. The antenna is connected to a Kenwood 930S HF radio at the State OES Headquarters RACES radio station W6HIR. Sgd/Stan Harter, KH6GBX, State RACES Coordinator STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 06/87 SUBJECT: MAILED BULLETINS TO BE REDUCED If you received this Bulletin by mail and the envelope had a black dot pasted on it, we may stop mailing them to you after the end of March. Budget cuts make it necessary to reduce the mailed bulletins to a minimum. The primary purpose of the mailed Bulletins is to provide RACES information for amateur radio publications. Some clubs have been providing us copies of their newsletters. Many have not. Since the medium is radio, it is reasonable that the maximum distribution and training value be done over the CCDN (California Civil Defense Net) on Mondays 3545.5 KHz 1900 hours CW and 1930 RATT. We will continue, of course, to place the State RACES Bulletins in all the WESTNET packet mailboxes. If you are affected, we will welcome your justifications to keep receiving them by mail by return CCDN message, U.S. mail, or packet message (W6HIR @ WA6NWE). For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on March 9, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 07/87 SUBJECT: NEW STATE OES REGION MANAGER IS A HAM The Director has appointed Alfred (Al) Kelly as Manager, State OES Region 3 in Redding. Al replaces Lynn Roberts who retired. Al joined OES in 1978 as a Communications Coordinator at the Region 1 Los Angeles office. In 1979 he was reassigned to Region 3 and 4 office as Communications Coordinator responsible for the 24 northeastern counties. Al is know to many of you as N6ECP and the Region 3 RACES Coordinator. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on March 16, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 08/87 SUBJECT: KINGS COUNTY GOES RACES On February 19, 1987, approximately 40 hams showed up at the County Government Center to be sworn in by the Kings County OES in Hanford. Many representatives of each law enforcement agency of the County were present, including some city and county officials. Jude Dunham, County OES, gave a short talk and a film was shown. Sheriff Tom Clark then did the honors of swearing in the hams as RACES members. All those present have received their ID cards. Dunham and Dave Brown, KI6OR, are working on a training program. More hams will be sworn in at a later date. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on March 23, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 709 SUBJECT: NATIONAL DISPATCHER'S WEEK National Dispatcher's Week is April 12-18, 1987 throughout the nation. The Governor's Office of Emergency Services salutes all the dispatchers, telecommunicators, 9-1-1 operators and others who work around the clock in public safety communications centers. Seldom seen and appreciated by the public, they are the front line link between the public safety agencies and the public they serve. RACES operators should visit a nearby dispatch center and receive a briefing on their duties and skills required to better appreciate the workload and stress. It can be a tough job. Dispatchers--we salute you. RACES operators--take them a copy of this statewide bulletin. Sgd/Stan Harter, KH6GBX, State RACES Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on March 30, 1987 Discussion: RACES (RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE) RACES operators are Amateur Radio operators (not C.B.) enrolled in and assigned to the State or a county or city government to provide that government emergency communications skills and resources. RACES systems may supplement, augment or replace public safety systems overloaded or rendered inoperative due to a natural or manmade disaster. They are all unpaid volunteers. RACES personnel are, in effect, deputy communicators--enrolled and sworn in by their local government. Contact your local or State Office of Emergency Services for details. "CODE FOUR, TEN-SEVEN" STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 710 SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA DAMS A data management system for the California Office of Emergency Services Dam Safety Program will be on-line by this spring. The system will track the status of more than 2,000 California dams under state jurisdiction. Information will be retrievable on the type of dam, the date that the area below the dam was last inspected, and the status of the local planning for a potential dam failure. For more information, contact Dave Zocchetti, Planning Division, (916) 427-4285. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on April 6, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 11/87 (PACKET "RACESBUL.711") SUBJECT: EMERGENCY RESPONSE INSTITUTE ATTENTION: Emergency Management Agency Coordinators via Amateur Radio Close to two hundred people attended the 1st Emergency Response Institute seminar in San Jose on March 28-29. It was attended by ARES, RACES and other interested hams plus representatives and speakers from Federal, State, and local public safety and emergency management agencies. There were many "how to" sessions to better equip the participants to work together and support public agencies. Some came from as far away as San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou and Kern counties. Congratulations to Dave Larton, N6JQJ, and his staff for putting on a most worthwhile seminar. If there is another ERI next year we will urge attendance by all RACES Radio Officers in Northern California as recommended and necessary training. A detailed report is available to agencies requesting one. Sgd/Stan Harter, KH6GBX Amateur Radio Service Coordinator SERVICE NOTE: Demonstrate your communications capability by providing a copy of this message to your local city and/or county emergency management agency. Commencing next week will be series of messages specifically for all such agencies via Amateur Radio. The messages will address problem areas that exist between Amateur Radio and some local governments in California that were brought out at the ERI in San Jose. The delivery of these bulletins depends entirely on you in most cases. This often is the means by which you stay in touch with your local emergency management agencies. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on April 11, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 12/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.712) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 1 This is the first is a series of messages specifically for OES/emergency management agencies. They are the outcome of the most commonly identified problems between volunteers and some emergency management agencies at the recent Emergency Response Institute in San Jose. The use of Amateur Radio operators in a structured program by local governments is called RACES---Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. Every county in California should have a RACES unit. Legislative hearings in 1983 took the State to task for letting RACES disappear in most areas in California and directed the State OES to bring the RACES back on line and take its place with other local government volunteer programs such as those for reserve deputy sheriffs, reserve police officers, volunteer firefighters, etc. RACES is a part of your government. It is not a separate, detached or outside organization. RACES volunteers are your government's deputy communications personnel, your reserve of Amateur Radio operators. They comprise a pool of skilled communicators with reliable and sophisticated radio systems at no cost to the government. They are entitled to the privilege of being enrolled in RACES in every county or community in California. RACES Radio Officers are appointed by the State, county and city emergency management agencies they serve. (To be continued). Sgd/Stanly E. Harter, KH6GBX Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Division Amateur Radio Service Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on April 20, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 13/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.713) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 2 RACES Radio Officers are appointed by the State, county and city emergency management agencies they serve. They are a part of the agency staff and expected to be treated as such. The Radio Officer should be provided a job description, provided the organization practices and policies, learn the relationships to other agencies, attend staff meetings, may be sent to training sessions/seminars, provided space to work and resources to carry out the management of a program that would otherwise be staffed by a paid position in past years. In short, the Radio Officer should be made to feel a part of your staff as would a paid employee. We, in turn, expect the same interest, professionalism and dedication from any RACES Radio Officer. We can appreciate that it may be difficult for emergency services managers to accept this if you have never had an unpaid volunteer on your staff. (TO BE CONTINUED) Sgd/STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Division Amateur Radio Service Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on April 27, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 14/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.714) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 3 We can appreciate that it may be difficult for emergency services managers to accept this who have never had an unpaid volunteer on your staff. It can also be difficult to grasp the RACES program where it has been dead in many areas for up to 20 years. The State legislature has mandated that this oversight be corrected. This, coupled with reduced budgets, makes the use of skilled volunteers in law enforcement, fire suppression, search and rescue, and communications sound and practical. Amateur Radio operators are a valuable resource of skills and in-place communications systems and equipment at no cost to government. Their availability and usage is called the RACES program. In short, they are assigned directly To you or to whomever you have delegated the emergency communications function. (To be continued.) Sgd/STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Division Amateur Radio Service Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on May 4, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 15/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.715) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 4 RACES is managed by you or by the department to whom you have delegated the emergency communications function. The RACES Radio Officer is not a paper assignment just to place a name in a plan or a doomsday roster and then forget about it. We have, unfortunately, received reports of some jurisdictions where this seems to be the case. Are you faced with any of these problems? 1. The OES agency does not understand the RACES program, lacks information, is misinformed by outsiders, and/or is unaware that every county and State OES Region should have an active RACES unit. There are many city RACES units as well but, for good management reasons, we do not generally advocate new RACES units in cities of under 500,000 population. A particularly troublesome emergency management problem exists if there are city RACES units in a county that has no bona fide county RACES program. Our office will he pleased to work with you to successfully overcome any of these shortcomings. Simply call us at (916)427-4281. (To be continued) Sgd/STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Division Amateur Radio Service Coordinator For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on May 11, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 16/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.716) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 5 2. The RACES officer is not adequately fulfilling the expectations of the position. Have you provided a written job description? This office will provide model Radio Officer and Communicator job descriptions for the asking. 3. The RACES Radio Officer is not the right manager for the job. Can you rectify this problem through closer supervision, assistance from our office, or by replacing the individual? 4. Failure to integrate and maintain close and harmonious relations with ARES--the Amateur Radio Emergency Service sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. All ARES members should be enrolled in RACES, but the individual's preferences should be respected by categorizing each RACES member as 1st level response, 2nd level, and so forth. This is the job of the Radio Officer and his/her staff. 5. Failure to permit the RACES personnel to be used as frequently as possible in exercises, special events for training purposes, and real emergencies. Volunteers will not perform, and cannot be expected to perform, in the manner you expect if they are not either trained or used on a regular basis. (To be continued) Sgd / STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on May 18, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 17/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.717) ATTENTION: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COORDINATORS SUBJECT: RACES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS - PART 6 6. Radio Officer failing to stop by the office at least once or twice a month as a bare minimum. Failure to do so can excuse the OES agency from observing step number 7. Failure to do so will also doom your RACES unit and program to failure. 7. OES agency's failure to remember that the Radio Officer is a regular member of the staff and should, for example, receive distribution of all staff memos, pertinent correspondence, appropriate clerical support, and appropriate work space. The Radio Officer (or an assistant) is to be invited to staff meetings, conferences, appropriate in-government training, and other employee functions. The Radio Officer should have an "in" basket at the office. A well informed volunteer feels the pride of belonging and should serve with the same professionalism as paid staff. This office will meet with you and your RACES Radio Officer to discuss these and other subjects to create, improve, or maintain a proper RACES program. We await your invitation. Write or call (916) 427-4281. Our WESTNET packet radio address is W6HIR @ WA6NWE; the direct packet connection address on 145.05 is W6HIR-1 (or via W6AK-1). A continuation of this series will be made if and when more problems are identified or questions raised. Sgd/ STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on June 1, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 18/87 (PACKET: RACESBUL.718) SUBJECT: STATE RACES PLAN COVER The cover of the State RACES Plan contains the word "AMATUER" in the title. This was discovered after the printing was delivered to us. Should we have had the artwork redone, covers republished, hundreds of plans disassembled, reassembled, and stapled again? We decided it was a more judicious savings of taxpayer dollars to let it go -- to perhaps become someday a collector's item. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JUNE 8, 1987 on W6NKR at 1900 CW and 1930 RTTY on 3545.5 KHz, and entered and stored in all WESTNET PBBS. STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 19/87 (PACKET # RACESBUL.719) SUBJECT: VOLUNTEERS DEPORTMENT AND APPEARANCE WE ASKED SOME OES PROFESSIONALS IF THEY HAD ANY ADVICE FOR VOLUNTEERS. HERE IS WHAT THEY SAID: 1. "TELL THEM TO DRESS APPROPRIATELY WHEN THEY COME TO THE OFFICE OR ANYWHERE ELSE TO WORK FOR AND REPRESENT THEIR OES. THIS MEANS A NEAT AND CLEAN APPEARANCE COMPARABLE TO OTHER EMPLOYEES. SINCE MOST VOLUNTEERS ARE ASSUMED TO BE EMPLOYEES BY OUTSIDERS, THEIR APPEARANCE AND CONDUCT MUST BE A CREDIT TO THEIR ORGANIZATION." IN SHORT, LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND ASK YOURSELF "WOULD I HIRE THAT? AND IF SO, FOR WHAT?" 2. "NEVER REPORT FOR DUTY OF VISIT THE OFFICE WITH ALCOHOL ON YOUR BREATH." 3. "SPEAK FAVORABLY OF YOUR ORGANIZATION TO OTHERS OR NOT AT ALL. ON DUTY OR OFF DUTY YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION IN THE EYES OF OTHERS." IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT, BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF YOUR SUPERVISOR IN THE OES. To be continued. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JUNE 15, 1987 and entered and stored in all WESTNET PBBS STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 20/87 (PACKET # RACESBUL.720) SUBJECT: VOLUNTEERS DEPORTMENT PART 2 OF 2 4. "VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BE ADVISED AHEAD OF TIME THAT MOST OF US EXPECT A PRETTY FAIR DEGREE OF RELIABILITY AND COMMITMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO SHOW UP AT A TIME AND A PLACE -- THEN DO IT." AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS A COUNTY THAT REQUESTED A DEMONSTRATION OF AIRBORNE ATV FROM A DISTANT UNIT. THE ATV TEAM ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO FLY THEIR OWN PLANE, FURNISH THEIR OWN ATV EQUIPMENT, AND PAY ALL OPERATING EXPENSES OUT-OF- POCKET. SIXTY VOLUNTEERS PROMISED TO ATTEND. LESS THAN 15 SHOWED UP. THIS IS A POOR EXAMPLE OF RELIABILITY, DEDICATION AND COMMON COURTESY. 5. "MAYBE I OUGHT TO SPELL THESE THINGS OUT TO VOLUNTEERS BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE NECESSARY" ADDS ONE OES OFFICIAL. THAT'S WHY WE ASKED THE QUESTION AND WHY WE ARE PASSING ON SOME OF THEIR REPLIES. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JUNE 22, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 21/87 (PACKET # RACESBUL.721) SUBJECT: DELIVERING THE MESSAGES ATTN: All RACES operators (i.e., any Amateur enrolled in an Emergency Services agency). An increasing number of emergency services agency managers at the city and county levels are learning of the RACES bulletins and claim they are not getting all of them and some not at all. Interestingly enough, some say they have a RACES unit but have never received any of the bulletins. This can only mean that there is a breakdown in the delivery chain. Perhaps it's a misunderstanding among some operators. Check the "TO" line in the message headers. The local OES agencies do not receive these bulletins by any means other than you -- the Radio Amateurs assigned to that OES agency. This affords both the Amateurs and the OES agencies to maintain regular contact with each other. If this will be your first message to be so delivered, please include as many previous messages as possible. Any OES agency requiring a complete set of the messages from May 1985 forward, please contact your OES Region Communications Coordinator. The Bulletin series answers questions, provides interpretations, clarifies misunderstandings, and provides specific Amateur Radio program guidance requested of State OES by the State Senate. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JUNE 29, 1987 STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 21A/87 (PACKET # RACESBUL.727) SUBJECT: HAMS HELP WANTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (State OES) is recruiting Amateur Radio operators for several key volunteer positions in Southern California for our Los Alamitos and Ontario facilities. Urgently needed are radio operators for each location. Minimum qualifications: Amateur Radio license higher than Novice. CA driver license. Desirable experience: CW, RTTY, packet, voice or ATV. RACES, ARRL ARES/EC, CAP, MARS or other emergency communications experience. Willing to learn and participate in a vital leadership role. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Don Root, WB6UCK, at (714)391-4485 or packet PBBS (WB6UCK @ N6BGW); or Stan Harter, KH6GBX, at (916)427-4281 and Packet PBBS: W6HIR @ WA6NWE. For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JUNE 29, 1987 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICATIONS AND NETS: PLEASE GIVE THIS WIDEST DISSEMINATION. THANK YOU. STATE RACES BULLETIN NR 22/87 (PACKET # RACESBUL.722) SUBJECT: PACKET RADIO DEMONSTRATIONS - PART 1 OF 4 PARTS Synopsis: A guide for those demonstrating packet radio communications to government agencies and others. State OES often calls for local support in demonstrating packet to government officials. These pointers can help achieve a flawless demonstration. The success or failure of any demonstration is determined in the first few minutes. The interest and attention span of non- technical observers is typically very short. Observers are interested only in seeing the end product and benefits. We should give these to them in the shortest possible time. Limit the demonstration time to 5-10 minutes of productive reception of packet traffic. Sending traffic from the demonstration is of little dynamic interest -- receiving traffic is! (To be continued) For statewide broadcast by W6NKR on JULY 6, 1987