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- Msgid : $RACESBUL.231
-
-
- TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES/OFFICES VIA THE ARS
- INFO: ALL RACES OPERATORS IN CA (ALLCA: OFFICIAL)
- ALL AMATEURS U.S. (@ USA: INFORMATION)
- FROM: CA STATE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (W6HIR @ WA6NWE.CA)
- 2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA 95832 (916)427-4281
- RACESBUL.231 DATE: July 20, 1992
- SUBJECT: MGT: Too much of a good thing
-
- More than one professional in the field of Search and Rescue
- or Emergency Response Management has been known to say that
- "hams can be too much of a good thing." What they refer to is
- the propensity of hams to respond en masse to a callout without
- regard to their own skills, physical limitations, body
- condition, time commitment, and mental state. Over time, these
- professionals, often "hams" themselves, reach a state where they
- decline to again issue a callout or utilize other hams in their
- operations. In essence, they've been "burned" once too often by
- the untrained and unskilled responders who think just because
- they hold an Amateur Radio license they are natural emergency
- operators.
- Their experience proves that merely holding a "ham" license
- does not an emergency responder make. It takes effort, study
- and training to be a good emergency responder. Search and
- Rescue teams know that because of their endless training and
- drills. They welcome with open arms seriously interested Radio
- Amateurs who have the self-discipline to undergo rigorous
- training similar to theirs and the committment to stay with the
- program.
- Think about it. What kind of a potential responder are
- you? Are you in the small, but elite, fraternity of those highly
- trained and dedicated? Or are you in a larger group of those
- with a little training, a little knowledge and fluctuating
- interest? Or are you in the largest group that has no training,
- no knowledge of emergency communications, but feel you can help
- just because you have an Amateur Radio license? Which of these
- three groups would you like to have assisting if YOUR family's
- life and well being were at stake? ---Cary Mangum, W6WWW
-
- EOM
-
-