[MRIC] ICS 123 Comments from Washington County RACES and Emergency Manaager

[Bob Long]

I have met with the Washington County Emergency Manager.  In fact there 
were a number of RACES operators present at this meeting.  The results 
of the meeting follow.

1.  We see that the ICS-213 will be the basis for communications as has 
been stated by other jurisdictions

2.  We see the value of a preamble in both the main message and the 
reply.  It is not unlikely that in replying the new message may carry 
information that could have a different priority than the original message.
3.  We feel that it is most important that our messages be relayed in a 
expedient and precise manner.  To omit the word count in either the 
original message or reply can allow for avoidable errors.  To speed up 
the handling of the messages and facilitate the correction of omission  
the form should require a limited number of words on a line.  It is 
impracticable to try to count the number of words in a free form 
message.would be an extremely difficult task and would be very time 
consuming.  We suggest 5 to 10 words per line.Other communications 
systems have a tape recorded backup that allows for a replay if 
necessary.  We do not have that luxury we MUST get it right on the 1st 
effort.


The following comments were also made.

1.   When receiving a reply, it should be copied on a fresh sheet, then 
matched up with the original after the message is accepted. In a real 
time event searching for the original message and holding up the 
transmission of the message would just slow things down.
2.   If a message reply is not to have its own number then it should 
have the a suffix added to the message number such as 243R to identify 
it as belonging to message number 243.

We have heard that the count just slows thing down,  To omit that says 
that accuracy in traffic handling is a luxury we cannot afford,  close 
is good enough.  We say, no the passing of a carbon copy of the message 
is what our officials deserve.  Close says errors are acceptable.  Not 
when our communities welfare is on the line.

Before I was willing to send this we needed to develop a message form 
prototype. The message form might look something like  -  
http://www.qsl.net/kd3jk/ics_213_draft.xls