[TCARC-NTX] FW: Why can't my VFD and citizens listen to streaming audio of RACES?

[David Johnson]

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Bryant [mailto:timbrusky at htcomp.net] 
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 10:38 PM
To: kb5ylg at yahoo.com
Cc: Art Bell
Subject: Why can't my VFD and citizens listen to streaming audio of
RACES?


David:
 
Thank you for all of the good work you folks render in Civil
Emergencies. With my scanner I have listened to you and your volunteers
over many years. However, not many folks have a scanner anymore and
fewer still understand how to operate them. 
 
Now that we have moved into the internet age, I'm wondering why we can't
have your voice transmissions streamed live over the internet? As a
former Volunteer Fire Department President and Firefighter, and a Civil
Air Patrol Search & Rescue pilot, I see the need to have your club's
membership participation (in listening mode) much more immediate and
pertinent than National Weather Service warnings. 
 
National Weather Service (NWS) warnings are usually LATE and by the most
part the hail, wind damage and tornado has passed when their warnings
are disseminated to the public. We desperately need more eyes and ears
on the roads. RACES has always been there, but only to those folks that
have the special receiving equipment. We are talking about less than
1/10 of 1% of the public can receive your reports.
 
You folks are trained observers, and by the most part the same folks I
would trust to go into an Emergency situation at my side. So why the
hold back on disseminating critical information you folks report? I have
just spent 2 hours searching the web looking for links and haven't found
a thing! What gives? Have I missed something?
 
We just went through a dangerous weather situation here in Hill County
and I know that we had only 5 Hill County Sheriffs units on the ground
moving. Of course all of our Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD) in the
path were out looking... but we communicate on the Hill County Sheriff's
frequencies and our own FD frequencies... but again, only specialized
equipment can pick it up.
 
Why not have a streaming (LIVE) link to our public from trained
observers such as yourself on a RACES local link? This idea should be
implemented NATIONWIDE for WEATHER emergencies. Homeland Defense can
decide other issues. 
 
All of the internet providers in Hill County most certainly will provide
the bandwidth at no cost... (if they won't, I'll work on that from a
political angle, I'm also a former Mayor Pro-tem of my small city in
Covington) and they want access to our 230 foot water tower. 
 
Most certainly you could also link to any Homeland Defense broadcast and
provide National Emergency Alert information. In war time conditions
such as we are experiencing, we must re-think new rules and regulations.
Please put this on the top burner of your organizations public service
commitment.
 
RACES radio traffic should be required to be streamed to the internet
LIVE. 
 
Your comments and contribution to the dialog would be appreciated.
 
Timothy W. Bryant
321 Gathings Street / PO Box 7
Covington, Texas 76636-0007
254-854-2212
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