[Ares-races] Portable Station help wanted

[Jerry]

Good discussion.

Experience is a poor teacher, because it gives you the exam before you 
have studied the material.  I love the way a Red Cross instructor once 
said this:  Experience is a poor substitute for effective training. 
 Like the military either training for or engaged in war, ecomm people 
are either actively providing communications or we should be training to 
do so.

I know that no one in this group would point out that Amateur Radio is 
just a hobby, and those ecomm people make this way too serious. 
 Emergency communications is but one of the purposes for which the 
service was created, but that is not an exclusive purpose.

Perhaps more valuable than good operating skills and common sense is the 
willingness to follow instructions.  This requires placing the mission 
objectives slightly ahead of personal desires.  A little humbleness goes 
a long ways.

Jerry Reimer, KK5CA
Section Emergency Coordinator
ARRL South Texas Section  



Chuck Boyle KB5RVV wrote:

>        I have often wondered how to choose between my kids and my EMA in the
>	event of an area-wide emergency.  That is an answer I will only know
>	when the time comes.
>
>I have chosen my family more than once in tornados and power outages. You
>have to put yourself and your family first. After they are taken care of,
>if the emergency is still ongoing, then you can can help other people.
>
>	While we are all communicators, communications is not our only need.
>
>After the OKC Murrah Building Bombing, I spent a fair amount of time
>unboxing hard hats and inserting the netting inside them, putting donated
>batteries into donated flashlights, keeping generators fueled, and other
>miscellaneous chores. Somebody had to do it and it beat twiddling my thumbs
>waiting for something to call in or answer on the radio. Eating leftover
>Salvation Army food so it doesn't have to be thrown out is a worthy task
>too!
>
>	One other thing I learned while I was there, was the value of
>	familiarity with other hams.
>
>I've been trying to devote more time to face-to-face meetings for this
>purpose. Yes, it does make a difference when other people know you and what
>you are like.
>
>	I am not "trained" in EmComm now.  I haven't taken the League's course
>	yet and I haven't met with the local emergency training clubs.  In an
>	emergency, though, if I were in the spot again, it would still work out
>	as we would all adapt.
>
>If you are a good radio operator and have a good dose of common sense, you
>can handle it. On the other hand, there is no such thing as too much
>training.
>
>	I guess I get a little long-winded sometimes.
>
>	Open for comments!
>
>	Buck
>
>I love reading long-winded comments. Don't worry about it.
>-------------------
>Chuck Boyle KB5RVV
>