[Ares-races] Finding Funding for Ham Equipment - E-911 Center

Fri, 19 Jul 2002 13:20:06 -0400

Virginia RACES, Inc. is chartered by the Virginia State Corporation 
Commission as a nonprofit educational and public service organization.  This 
enables is to receive private and corporate donations of radio equipment and 
computers to support our statewide digital network and other resources, such 
as free tower space for digital and voice repeater sites, remote receivers, 
voting and digital backbone linking systems.

In Fairfax County some of the federal funds being allocated for public 
safety resources under the new homeland defense are being used to equip the 
RACES operating position in our EOC.  It will have HF, VHF and UHF  and 
phone and data.  Our ARES EC and the RACES RO advise the County's Emergency 
Management Coordinating Committee.  Amateur radio taskings are written into 
the Emergency Support Functions of our County Emergency Operations Plan 
which deal with Alert, Notification and Public Warning; Emergency Public 
Information; Damage Assessment; Mass Care; Emergency Management; and 
Resource Management.

The key is to get to know the needs of and to "serve the customer."  Don't 
tell the served agency what you can do or how to do their job.

Instead, work with them to identify which organizations need auxiliary 
communications.  Develop a needs assessment.  Identify suitable tasks for 
amateur radio.  Determine what equipment and resources are necessary to meet 
the needs.  Honestly evaluate current amateur radio assets and capabilities 
to fill the need.  Don't promise what you can't deliver!  Identify all 
training and equipment requirements needed.

Then work with  served agencies to develop the necessary SOPS, job aids, 
checklists, procedures, forms and position descriptions.  Then you can train 
people to do the job, test them in exercises, evaluate their performance and 
seek continuous improvement while building rapport and trust with the 
customer.

If you have an opportunity to attend an Emergency Management Planning 
Workshop as part of your local EMCC, commit the time to work with your 
locality to revise or update its EOP.  Networking with emergency management 
officials in your community will reap GREAT dividends which go far beyond 
amateur radio!

>From: Nick Meacher <[email protected]>
>To: Nick Meacher <[email protected]>,James E Bond 
><[email protected]>, [email protected]
>Subject: RE: [Ares-races] Finding Funding for Ham Equipment - E-911 Center
>Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 05:44:19 -0800
>
>oops forgot to give you the link www.JuneauARC.org
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nick Meacher
>Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 05:45
>To: 'James E Bond'; [email protected]
>Subject: RE: [Ares-races] Finding Funding for Ham Equipment - E-911
>Center
>
>
>The first issue you'll need to take care of (as I've been through this one)
>is make sure that your group is registered as a non-profit.  No agency or
>organization will do anything without this status.
>
>Next, approach FEMA, local businesses, Rotary, etc and outline your needs.
>The best way to do this is to show why, what you can do, etc.  Check out 
>the
>Emergency and Disaster Communications report on our ARES page under the
>"forms" section.  It might give you some ideas.  It's surprising home many
>government officials are not aware of their capabilities and the problems
>that they may encounter.  This kind of report can then be used as an opener
>to local groups and companies.
>
>You may well find that several groups will have funs available for 
>donations
>once they realize that there is an important need that needs to be met.
>
>The one problem that I've encountered in our brand new $1,000,000 police
>station that houses our new EOC is that the "planning group" deleted the
>recommendations for space for amateur equipment "as there is not a need".
>Now we have a new Emergency Coordinator and Police Chief who are very much
>in favor of us being there but there is not space for us!  We have 
>equipment
>donated from our State Division of Emergency Services and no where to put
>it!
>
>Good luck
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: James E Bond [mailto:[email protected]]
>Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 05:17
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Ares-races] Finding Funding for Ham Equipment - E-911 Center
>Importance: High
>
>
>
>I am interested in ways to
>find funding for emergency
>communications equipment in
>our new E-911 Center currently
>being constructed in our
>county. It seems that no
>expense is being spared for
>this center, including a 300
>ft tower designed as a
>complete back up to the
>trunked 800MHz system.  That
>is, except for the RACES
>station.
>
>Last year I participated on a
>committee to make
>recommendations on ham
>equipment for the center. The
>design of the center does not
>allow copper wire to penetrate
>into same. We came up with a
>suitable design and
>recommended they use the
>TS-2000 (in duplicate).
>
>Now come to find out they have
>not made any allocations
>whatsoever in their budget for
>ham equipment, despite having
>our input. Now come to find
>out they plan to use existing
>VHF/UHF equipment, how I am
>not entirely sure.
>
>I am curious to know if anyone
>has had similar issues to
>contend with; and if so, and
>how the money was raised.  I
>have heard of the ARRL giving
>grants for such projects, but
>I do not know how to approach
>this.
>
>Any other suggestions?
>
>Thank you very much.
>
>73,
>
>James E. Bond, K6SPY
>[email protected]
>METERS/ARES/RACES Knox County.
>Tennessee
>http://www.meters.org
>
>
>
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73 de KE4SKY, Regards Ed
(r) 703-280-1247
(w) 703-324-5224
epage [email protected]
Reply to: [email protected]
Board Member, Northern VA FM Association
Virginia RACES State Training Officer

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