[MRIC] Let's do it!

[BrettHam at aol.com]

Bob,

Yes it is true we ROs have been charged with resolving a number of  
interoperability issues. In the vast majority of the issues we address, I do not  think 
the EMs will have any opinion, or even want to get involved and will  defer 
to us entirely. However, I believe this issue may affect EOC operations,  and 
therefore, some EMs are going to have a lot to say about it and will  
scrutinize our recommendations. I know this is true in my case. My EM wants to  keep 
the number of forms used in Talbot County to an absolute minimum and  wants the 
same form to be used by RACES and EOC personnel so we can use the  carbon-copy 
procedure I mentioned in an earlier email. This also leaves a paper  trail 
(or electronic trail on WebEOC) so it can be tracked down if the  message gets 
lost or ignored, and everyone has a copy for reference. This is  part of the 
process of more tightly integrating RACES into our emergency  operations 
procedures.
 
If we propose something that gets overruled by the EMs in May, for whatever  
reason, we won't get a standardized form for inter-jurisdictional  RACES 
traffic approved this year, because we don't meet again until  November. Hence my 
request that everyone make sure it is going to fly with their  EM. On the other 
hand, if it does get approved, I suspect it may be adopted for  all 
inter-jurisdictional traffic, not just RACES.
 
When we started discussing this a month or two ago, my original position  was 
to try to adopt something along the lines that you recommend, with word  
count and separate space for each word. But after getting feedback from my EM  and 
my RACES Operators, they both convinced me that ICS-213 would be better. The  
advantages are the use of a single form for EOC and RACES; carbon copies for  
RACES and EOC; no need to copy message from ICS-213 to/from a radiogram;  
interoperability with other jurisdictions; and simplicity making it easier for  
our volunteers to use.
 
I would also like to hear what others think about removing the box numbers,  
and just refer to the field by name.
 
Brett Hammond
Talbot County RO


In a message dated 4/5/2007 6:57:27 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
rjlong61 at myactv.net writes:

Ok,  let's be serious.   We the RACES Officers of  Maryland have been 
charged with developing a form that will work for  US.  WE are to make a 
RECOMMENDATION to the Managers Association.  

In MY opinion we need to take that charge serious.  WE were not  charged 
with developing a form that will work with ALL EOCs, just  RACES.  We 
will each use a form that will look a lot like the ICS-213  or what ever 
OUR EMs dictate.  The form that I sent out (   
http://www.qsl.net/kd3jk/ics_213_draft.xls )was to help develop some  
discussion as to what might work for US.  Take it for what it was meant  
to be, a point departure from the form that was shown us at the meeting.  
Yes, it does look a lot like the NTS form, but it also has the elements  
of the ICS-213 in it.  Try it, it will work and can be modified to meet  
any of your criteria.  ( This is a lot easier to develop than a Windows  
Program  to accomplish a similar result. 

There are a lot of  advantages to this program.  It does not have to be 
adopted per  se.  It is just a tool to provide ANY format WE choose.  One 
of  the advantages is that you can print out as many copies as you want.   
It can become a very versatile tool. 

Unfortunately I will not be  able to be present at the April 21st 
meeting, our second RO, Carlo Belella,  K3ABH, plans to attend.  If a 
consensus for a particular format of our  message form is arrived at we 
will all have to work with it. 

Let's  find a form that will make passing traffic over the air some what 
easier.  

VY 73,

Bob Long,
KD3JK EC/RO Wash
 



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