[MIham] Fw: [w8lrc] FYI: Mail sent to the KCEST Membership.

[Frank N8UVI]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sam Nabkey - K8SN"
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 6:30 PM
Subject: [w8lrc] FYI: Mail sent to the KCEST Membership.


> Hello all!!
> I am mailing you this message because I know not all of you are current
> KCARES members, OR at some point requested to be removed from some or all
> mail servers at k8sn.org. .  All of you listed here are either on the
board
> of one of the local radio clubs, or someone who might need to interface
with
> KCEST/KCARES in the future.  Some of you might have received the text
below
> already because you are on the KCARES list at k8sn.org.  Sorry in advance
> for the duplication.
> Our goal at KCEST is to be able to provide for the local area Emergency
> Managers, Township Supervisors, Fire Chiefs, Hospital Management, etc. a
> resource of Communicators that have met or are continually training to
meet
> the criteria set forth by Local, State and Federal Governments to provide
> Emergency Communications and issues pertaining to Home Land Security.
> Our group, as explained below will be the "go to" people during these type
> of events in Kent County.
> I need also to revisit with you all, what resources your Club might bring
to
> the table during a communications emergency in our County.
> I will be calling on your Club, to set up a meeting with you in advance so
I
> might publish a schedule of possible KCARES meetings to be held
immediately
> after your meeting (or before, its up to you).  KCARES will be the group
of
> Amateur Radio Operators that fit the requirements posted by the State of
> Michigan ARRL Emergency Coordinator.  This group will be called on during
> events and times when the KCEST group gets overloaded by sheer volume.
> These communicators will be typical hams that might never see an event,
but
> know they will come out to help as needed, when called upon.  Such as what
> happened to us, in Walker, Byron, and Rockford on 5/31/1998.  The need to
> meet with the general ham population is very important.  I want to make
sure
> all those with any interest at all are used during the time of emergency.
> Thanks for the time.  Hope you all enjoyed your summer!
> Sam Nabkey - K8SN
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> -----
> To all who could not attend the last couple of KCEST Meetings, I am
emailing
> you the details on what has transpired within the County and KCEST.  Most
of
> you know all of this already but just to make this all perfectly clear I
am
> going to go through it again.
>
> Before the July meeting, I was asked to meet with Lt. Van Bendegom to
> address the RACES part of the new Emergency Plan.  Lt. Van Bendegom
informed
> me at that time that for our group to exist correctly with the Kent County
> Emergency Management Division, and for us to have a chance to advance any
> farther along in our quest to expand into the Sheriff's Office, we needed
to
> make some changes in our standards.  These standards have been drafted by
> other City/County Governments in several other States and Michigan when it
> comes to how the citizen volunteer interfaces with Emergency Management.
It
> really all stems from all the new Homeland Security Volunteer requirements
> as projected by the Feds. Some Emergency Managers are looking ahead and
> implementing membership requirement standards now, instead of waiting for
> the shoe to drop and they not be prepared.
>
> At this meeting, the county Emergency Plan was amended to include verb age
> that specifically states that KCEST will be used in vital positions during
> times of disaster, and that KCEST volunteers will qualify other volunteers
> as needed for additional field operations, Skywarn, and other non-critical
> duties.
>
> To prepare for all of this, in a letter from Lt. Van Bendegom, the
> Lieutenant had asked me to consider making a requirement of background
> checks and add ional training for all KCEST members. The Lieutenant and I
> met, discussed it, and I implemented the changes. At the July meeting,
> attendees filled out the required paperwork.
>
> By our December meeting, all those volunteers that have successfully
passed
> the required checks, filled out the required paperwork and have approval
by
> the County will continue to be KCEST members. After this meeting adjourns
in
> December, only volunteers successfully meeting the criteria set forth by
the
> Department of Emergency Management will be KCEST Members. All volunteers
> that fail to meet the deadline will be removed from the KCEST roster and
> will be moved to the KCARES roster.  All KCEST members hold a valid
Amateur
> Radio License will be a KCARES member.   No new memberships will be taken
> after that meeting.  After that meeting, KCEST meetings will be held at
the
> Sheriff's Office, and will be limited to KCEST members only, while KCARES
> meetings will be held after occasionally after local radio club meetings.
> Enrollment to KCARES will follow the ARRL standards for ARES in our
> District.
>
> Starting in January 2003, The Kent County Emergency Service Team will be
> aggressively training to become the official arm of Emergency Management
> wholly responsible for Communications and disaster assessment in the
County
> of Kent during and after a Disaster.  Our training programs will run
> parallel with whatever is going to be implemented by the ARPSC and the
State
> RACES office, along with the Red Cross.  In other words, what the State
> does, we will do.
>
> Also starting in January KCARES meetings will occur once every two months
> and will be after various Club Meetings.  KCARES members will be the pool
of
> Amateur Radio Operators used by KCEST as communicators in non-critical
> positions and will be used at events as communicators.
>
> I would like to thank you all for all of your commitment to KCEST and
> KCARES.
>
> IF you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
>
> Sam Nabkey

Visit My Web Site at:  http://www.qsl.net/n8uvi

         ASCII ART RADIO SOCIETY #111

GOT ROOT!!!

C:\DOS  C:\DOS\RUN  RUN\DOS\RUN

Beam Me up Scotty, There's no intelligent Life Down Here!!!

The person that doesn't do anything, Doesn't make mistakes!

Give me a firm spot on which to stand, and I will move the earth.

                                                    --Archimedes--

Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however
it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world.

                                               --Albert Einstein--