[NevadaARES] RE: [WCARES] Excellent Article - Please Read

[Matthew Parker]

Paul - what the author says specifically in regard to being dropped in
the middle of a forest fire is quite poignant.  After the first two
seasons I spent with other Elko Amateur Radio Club members providing
communications support for the wildland firefighting cooperators there
(BLM, USFS, and NDF), they "asked" us to take the firefighter's
Standards for Survival course.  As I understand it, that is now a
requirement for anyone wishing to participate in services to the
firefighting agencies in Northeastern Nevada.  No doubt that our
willingness to complete this training (in addition to our performance in
the field) contributed to their favorable opinion of us.  Many of us
also voluntary completed the ICS courses they offered on Basic ICS,
Status/Check-in Recorder, and Dispatch Recorder.

You never know when a skill that doesn't seem pertinent will come in
handy.  While working in expanded dispatch during the Rain fire out
there, the phone at the Aircraft desk (located right next to our
operating position) began ringing just before 6 AM.  Most of the
overhead team had arrived around midnight and, with the fire activity
having slowed during the nighttime hours, opted to go to their hotel
rooms and get some rest before digging in for a busy day.  I didn't
answer the phone the first time it rang, but on the second I felt
compeled to at least answer and tell whoever was calling that the
overhead team was not present but would be arriving shortly.  The caller
turned out to be one of the NDF dispatchers who had attended the
Status/Check-in Recorder class with a number of us hams, calling to
check on the status of an aircraft that had been ordered.  The request
showed as having been filled the previous night, but they had no record
of which aircraft had been assigned or where it was.  Because of the
training I had received, I was able to read the records in the logbook
and provide to the dispatcher the aircraft number and time of arrival at
the Elko airport.

Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: wcares-admin@mailman.qth.net [mailto:wcares-admin@mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Paul Cavnar
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 8:03 AM
To: WCARES; CVRC; LCARES; NEVADA ARES; RAMS
Subject: [WCARES] Excellent Article - Please Read


This article come from this weeks' EMCOMMWEST Bulletin, courtesy of Dave
Thorne, K6SOJ, SV SEC.  Please read and pass along to members in your
area.  Mr. Faulkers's perspective is right in line with everything I
have experienced in my years of service.  Once we (amateur radio
operators in general) can understand this wisdom, we will do much better
in providing services to our community.  I do appreciate your comments
on the article and will forward them on to the author.

73, Paul Cavnar - NN7B