[OkHam] Fw: [EmergencyCommunications] RE: How to Involve the

[Lloyd Colston]

While I don't agree with every premise of his assertion, there is certainly
some issues to address.

For example, if the volunteer does not see the need to upgrade, there
certainly are programs where upgrading would not be needed, i.e. Military
Affiliate Radio System, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, Citizen
Emergency Response Team, just to name a few, would be a viable outlet for a
person who does not wish to continue the incentive licensing route.

The reality is that we need to approach the volunteer with a meaningful job
and the skills to do that job or, in this apparent case, the volunteer
walks.

The opposite side of the same coin is that, if the volunteer is unwilling to
learn additional skills to make himself useful, then that volunteer is
useless.  It's more than operating a radio folks.  So much is related to
understanding (and fitting into) chain of command, the Incident Command
System, and the like.

Just my two cents....

Lloyd Colston, OCEM     Mayes County Emergency Management
Pryor, OK USA                      Survival is not compulsory.
               http://www.geocities.com/mccem
-----Original Message-----
From: EmergencyCommunications@eham.net <EmergencyCommunications@eham.net>
To: kc5fm@bigfoot.com <kc5fm@bigfoot.com>
Date: Monday, August 26, 2002 10:56 PM
Subject: [EmergencyCommunications] RE: How to Involve the


>Posted By KD5KZY
>
>I joined the local ARES and was appointed an ARRL Offical Emergency Station
shortly after obtaining my  license. Then it all went downhill. The State
ARES leader wanted to know what my plans to upgrade were. Upgrade? 99% of
emergency traffic in the OKC Bombing and May 3, 1999 Tornados were 2 meter.
Then came the "good old boys" club that consisted of a hand full of "I am in
charge" types that would not allow input form the group as a whole. I washed
my hands of the whole sorted mess. I am not alone. Many Amateurs in this
area would love to be involved but the smug attitudes of the "click" turned
them off. During the damage assessment phase of the tornados one of the ARES
officals traveled all the local repeaters looking for 50 hams to assist. The
repeaters fell silent. ARES and the like need to accept those with lower
class license and also kill the "my way or else" attitude. Folks Amateur
Radio is a hobby. That is why you have 8-10 hams checking in during the ARES
nets. They !
>have NO one to blame but themselfs.
>
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