[KYHAM] KEN Training August 5: Do We Serve???

[Ron Dodson]

>From July 7-23, 2002, "E-Ham" ran a survey on their web site
asking, "Which emergency organization are you the most
involved with?"  This survey had 2,095 responses and had an
additional 32 comments (Some favorable, some not).  While I
realize that feedback from only 2,095 amateurs out of
889,910 or more is only a drop in the bucket, I found the
results and comments all thought provoking.  How closely
this represents the "true" picture of amateur radio
operators as public servants, I'll leave to your own
opinions. 

The results of the survey with 2,095 hams participating
shows A.R.E.S. gathering 17% or 366 votes, RACES reflected
9% or 180 hams actively involved, SkyWarn came in close to
A.R.E.S. with another 17% or 358 hams responding, 
MARS/CAP/SATERN, together reflected 6% or 126,  5% or 108
hams stated that they were involved in "Other" types of
work, and 46% or 957 of the hams in the survey signified, 
"I am not currently involved with an emergency
organization"!   

Again, it makes one ask, "How close is this to the real
picture of how many amateurs are actually fulfilling their
DUTY under FCC regulations to serve the public, especially
in times of disaster?" (ref. Part 97.1(a), Part 97.401
etc.).

If this were to be deemed to be a fair estimate of amateurs
involved in some facet of "E-COMM" or emergency
communications work, then almost HALF of all amateurs
nation-wide are doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to validate the
need to keep amateur radio alive or to use their talents to
assist their communities in some form or fashion! Yes, some
people DO have jobs, health or family situations that pull
all or
nearly all of their waking moments.  This, I'll grant to be
true.  We've all been there at one time or another in our
lives.  I can recall ten years ago when I was almost totally
off the air except for two meters for a number of years in
dealing with multiple family crisis, one after another in a
horrible decade I'll never forget.  But, surely sooner or
later one can stop being a biblical example of "Job" and
begin to participate at some level in most cases.  

One may ask, " Who cares?  No one in my local government
wants me. So What?" Well, in some cases this is true, but in
the post Y2K and post 9/11 world most governments, state and
local, are waking up and seeing amateur radio as a real
option in their continuity of government/response efforts.  
Many other organizations like American Red Cross and
Salvation
Army already HAVE a history of using amateur radio in their
plans.  If you had looked at the comments that this survey
generated, you'd see examples of both sides of the coin and
the 'no-man's land' in between.  Some were full of optimism
and others were full of gloom.  In many areas, Ky included,
there have always been personality conflicts among hams as
well as among hams and their served agencies. Turf wars and
what I call, "me-ism" have ruined many opportunities for
this service to take place. Battles over "Who's the boss
here?" have in some cases, done damage that may never be
repaired. When amateurs are serving government or other
groups, The "Served Agency" IS THE BOSS! We hams are
communicators, we do not make policy for their group or
direct their operations.  I don't care if it is ARES, RACES,
MARS, CAP, SATERN or who, the "SERVED AGENCY" IS BOSS! 

The 'E' in E-COMM does not stand for ego trip!

That said, everyone loves a pat on the back now and again.
In some areas this is common and in others it is seldom seen
or
done. In many of the survey's negative comments, you could
see a
pattern of either apathy (lack of interest) among leadership
to
recognize their team members' efforts or possibly some
alledged
"political agenda" at play.  If amateur radio is to survive
into the next century and beyond, we must get past apathy
and politics and move into a new mindset.  At Lexington's
Central Ky Hamfest, this year's ARRL Ky Section Convention,
we will be recognizing a few of the hams who went the extra
mile and looked to the public good. By no means are these
few the only Ky amateurs we have who deserve a pat on the
back, a hand shake and a big "THANKS!" for the work they put
in. These are the hams who were nominated by their peers as
being the MVP's of their respective services. Nets all
across Ky could not and WOULD NOT exist, were it not for the
Net Controls who call the nets and the individual hams,
young and old, male and female, who participate in them each
day or week. To the EC's, both official and unofficial, out
there who see to it that their local group's activity is
reported to me and the STM each and every month so that we 
can report to ARRL HQ just what Kentucky has done over 
the previous month. 

To each and every one of these people, I send a HUGE
THANKS!  

Hams tell me every so often just what a great job "I"
do as the Ky SEC.  Well, I always answer back, "It's easy
when you have so many people who work so hard to MAKE ME
LOOK GOOD!" I mean this sincerely!  If the interest and
enthusiasm that I get from so many of you daily (yes, I said
DAILY) did not exist, I'd have moved on long ago screaming
with my hands in the air.  It's also easy (for this very
reason) to see why a few of the negative comments in the
survey were there as this kind of environment so obviously
did not flourish wherever they were.  

There were also some comments to the effect that there was
nothing going on locally to participate in.  Perhaps this to
could be resolved by a little 'push' on some amateur's part
to start things rolling. Let me tell you about my neighbor
hams in the state that borders me.  They started out
participating locally with our Ky group on the local VHF
net.  Interest blossomed and they soon made the effort to
get in touch with the SEC in their state to get info on
starting their own ARES group in their community. Today,
they have a good following, have weekly nets (with training
material), are active in local storm spotting
efforts and even assist in the warning siren tests conducted
in their county.  This would have never happened if they had
not taken up the ball and started to run with it.  Has it
been real easy? No, I think they'll agree it has not always
been EASY.  Has it been worthwhile?  I can tell you that
they will likely answer "yes" to this question unanimously.
We still work together, side by side.  Each group the
stronger for the other's presence across state lines. Both
ready to help wherever/whenever needed.  How many other
communities in all 50 states could benefit by this same
example?  All because someone got up one day and did
something!

73, 
Ron, KA4MAP

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�There are people who make things happen,
People who watch things happen,
And people who don�t know anything happened.�
                               - ARISTOTLE
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