[KYHAM] Responsibile Citizenship

[Ron Dodson]

I hope no one was surprised by the new Bin Laden video the other day! If
anyone actually thought it is over, they were sorely mistaken.  If not a
terrorist - someone will get mad at city hall or whomever and go on a
tear. As long as there are people, there will always be someone (or some
thing) to can make trouble for them.  What we do about it as citizens
and as amateurs is up to each of us. 

For the last two months my county has had one ungodly mass of
burglaries.  Homes, businesses, cars, churches, schools etc.  (OK, Call
them "equal opportunity" crooks! They stole from everybody!). People
were up in arms about what the police were and more like, where not
doing about it. Daily officers did the best they could to find clues and
gather info.  No witnesses came forward; no one said anything other than
comments that the police were doing nothing. They finally got them 2
weeks ago and recovered the majority of the items taken. Now people
start telling how they saw cars and trucks parked where they should not
have been at night, people riding bikes at 3 am with back packs through
residential areas etc. I asked some why they never called any of this
in.  "Didn't this seem odd or out of place to you?" , I questioned
several who made the comments. It seems they did not want to call in for
fear of; a) appearing stupid or  b) because they might have to go to
court as a witness. 

There is an old adage out there something to the effect that evil
triumphs when good men do nothing. This can be said of disasters or what
have you.  If we, as citizens and amateurs do not take a stand, who
will?  Granted, calling in a jogger or someone walking down the road in
the afternoon as a prowler is not likely to be a real threat. Someone
messing around on a bike with a back pack at 3 am, could be (unless this
is routine for the paperboy!). We live in our neighborhoods. We know
what is routine. If we see stuff that looks odd, it probably is. Cars
parked where no one should be at 3 am is probably either "Parkers" or
criminals. Learning what to look for is mostly paying attention. Be
observant, call in unusual activity or things that don't look right for
the time and or place. Programs like NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH or HIGHWAY WATCH
can improve this. 

Preparing our families for disasters and terrorist attacks should be our
daily business. Plan with your family and make sure they all know the
plan. Have you created your family preparedness kit yet? Do you check
your gear to be sure it is in good condition on a regular basis? Have
you taken training to know what to do for yourself and if you plan to
respond to disasters, have you trained to do this too? The training is
out there. You just have to go through it.

We all know someone or maybe ARE the someone who says, "I don't need any
training. If a disaster comes, I'll just pitch in". The day of the
untrained volunteer who suddenly feels compelled to help in a disaster
is about over folks. New requirements and LIABILITY are placing stricter
standards on responders to include volunteers all the time. The
untrained are becoming viewed as a gamble many agencies are no longer
willing or able to handle. Accountability is the new kid in town. Before
long we will see some type of ID program. No ID, no enter!  NIMS is
sounding the start of a new age for emergency response and disaster
operations. The terror attacks, Katrina et al and many other disasters
have caused the swing to tighter controls.  Those who get through
disasters are said to, "survive". Survival means being able to adapt. If
we want our families to come through disaster in good shape, then they
too must be prepared to adapt to the changes disaster brings.  If we
want to be a part of the big picture in future response events then we
must adapt for this also or be ready to sit on the sidelines. Are you
ready for the rigors and responsibilities of disaster conditions and do
you have the guts to take an active role in survival? Only you can
answer this for yourself.

73, 
Ron Dodson, KA4MAP
SEC Ky