[CTSARA] Sunday's Call For Emergency Staffing

[Jon Perelstein]

I'm sending this email in response to a situation that developed on Sunday
in which calls were being made on local repeaters claiming that hams were
needed to respond to the Norwalk Red Cross office on an emergency basis.
Since a couple of our newer members heard these calls and were torn about
whether or not they should in fact rush out to Norwalk, I would like to
explain to them (and anyone who needs a refresher) about our role(s) in
emergencies.  
 
Hams are communicators and NOT first responders   Thus, it would be HIGHLY
unusual (to say the least) for you to be called upon to rush somewhere in an
emergency.  It would be even more unusual for you to be called upon by
someone you don't know who is breaking into conversations and breathlessly
yelling 
 

"Emergency, emergency -- there is an emergency need for hams at the Red
Cross office in Norwalk.  I'm heading down there right now from Ridgefield.
Everybody rush over to Norwalk right away."
 

(that being the call that I heard mid-afternoon).  It would be most unusual
for a call like this at a time when safety officials are asking the public
to stay off the roads because of danger from downed power lines, fallen
trees, falling trees, etc.
 
In general, since we are not first responders, it is almost inconceivable
that our presence at a location could mean life or death.  I qualify with
the word "almost" since I'm sure that if you try hard enough, you could come
up with a million-to-one long shot scenario where the physical presence of a
ham at a particular location could mean life or death (remember though that
in a true emergency anybody can violate the rules and operate a ham radio or
any other radio if that meant the difference between life or death).
 
As hams, and especially as hams registered in ARES, we may be asked to staff
a location in order to provide communications to that location.  It might
even be an urgent request.  HOWEVER, that request should come to you via a
known ARES hierarchy -- and in fact should come to you from someone in a
specifically established call chain hierarchy.  You could conceivably get
the request via the radio, but again it should be from someone known to you
in the ARES hierarchy.
 
The person making the calls used the call sign of a fairly well-known ham
who lives in Ridgefield.  Some people who heard the calls and know this
ham's voice believe that it was not him.  An effort is being made to check
with him and educate him if it was him.  Regardless, when you hear something
like this, consider your source, consider the supposed emergency that
requires your presence, consider how the request came to you, consider
whether or not there is adequate communications in the area, and consider
your own personal safety before responding to something like this.
 
Obviously, if you are a first responder (e.g., police, fire, EMT) you might
be called out in that role, but that has nothing to do with being a ham.
 
Jon Perelstein
KB1QBZ
SARA President