[KYHAM] KEN Training for September 2004: EMCOMM Expansion and Growth Potential

[Ron Dodson]

As we closed out the ARES and EMCOMM Forum on September 11 at the Ky 
Section ARRL Convention, I found myself reflecting back on the topics we 
had discussed, the advances the program has made in the last many years 
and just how much lays yet before us.   "Amateur radio", I told the 
assembled banquet crowd on Friday evening and the forum on Saturday, "IS 
the REAL Interoperability Solution! "

Bob Stephens of KyEM was one of the many guest speakers.  "Amateur 
Radio", as Bob told forum attendees on Saturday, "has been rediscovered 
by many government officials."  Bob also shared his thoughts on the 
Western Ky Earthquake Exercise in March of 2004, talked of aspirations 
to further develop and use amateur radio in its many forms to include 
WinLink 2000 in support communications roles and expressed the 
appreciation of state officials for our interest in working with them.  
Scott Thile, K4SET, our new Digital ASEC, laid out his hopes and a 
general plan for the expansion of Winlink 2000 across the state in areas 
that desired to be a part of the operation.   Anyone wishing to 
investigate WinLink 2000 further or are already interested in becoming a 
part of the network are asked to contact Scott at 
k4set at radioministries.org . We reviewed the developments of CERT Teams 
which are adding amateur radio to their toolkits and I was surprised 
that the number of such teams has just about doubled since spring of 
this year!  We also listened as the Jefferson County Search Dog 
Association described how they use amateur radio in their efforts to 
help locate those missing or trapped in emergency situations.

Kentucky is definitely on the move in the field of Emergency 
Communications or EMCOMM. Our organization membership which was 711 in 
January of 1999 is now 1,071 members strong and we'll hopefully continue 
to see our numbers grow as we recruit new amateurs and try to 
re-interest some of the ones who may have taken a time out for a while.  
If you have a club or local ARES group, keep an eye out for the newly 
licensed.  Show them a helping and encouraging hand and let them see 
what we are doing in emergency preparedness.  No new amateur will likely 
stay in the hobby long, let alone become interested in any sort of 
aspect of our avocation without seeing a smiling face and a helpful hand 
instead of negativity.  I know personally of two new amateurs-to-be who 
were successful in their efforts to enter the ranks at the Technician 
level today, one a police officer and the other a county Search and 
Rescue Coordinator.  I am sure there were many more CSCE winners that I 
did not have a personal acquaintance with who also joined our extended 
family today and I sincerely hope that they all find only help and 
encouragement in their first days on the air in the next few weeks. 
Regardless of what any of these newcomers do for a living or whatever 
their age, good Elmering will play a key role in their further interest 
in amateur radio or lack thereof.  Join me in the proper nurturing of 
this all to precious, new blood, entering into the hobby.

Our future and our hobby has great potential...  IF WE CHOOSE TO JUST 
GET UP AND GRAB IT!  Our future and that of amateur radio, is in our 
hands.  We must each decide for ourselves if we will rise to the 
challenges in a positive way order to reap the rewards ahead.