[TNham] EMCOMM requirement

[dswart]

This attitude is downright laughable, if not outright ludicrous.

I "volunteer" for SBC Disaster Relief. It is not a profession; I don't get 
paid. But they require that you have had their training for chainsaw crew, 
mudout crew, radio emcomm etc. And you learn a lot of practical stuff from 
their training sessions. Just because "Bubba" has used a chain saw since 1972 
doesn't mean he knows how to use it safely and properly. And "Bubba" better 
not just waltz in and start cutting. The first thing you learn during training 
is not to touch anything until damage teams and insurance adjusters have 
asessed the damage first. I'm willing to bet "Bubba" don't know this. And if 
you don't have credentials, you don't get in, no matter how much you want to 
help.

Just because you know how to plug in your radio and ragchew doesn't mean you 
know how to effectively and quickly handle traffic during an emergency. And 
during an emergency is not the time to learn how to do it - not when lives are 
at stake.

If you are not trained for service, then who are you going to serve?

Dan

>===== Original Message From "Neil Addis (gmail)" <ncaddis at gmail.com> =====
>>Subject: [TNham] It looks like the EMCOMM "requirement" is trying to make
>>A return...
>
>
>I have been an active amateur radio operator since 1972. Enjoyed
>participating (volunteering) in all kinds of events, field day, public
>service communications, emergency communications, repeater building, packet,
>and mentoring when I can.
>
>However,
>
>Anytime it becomes a "requirement" that I must do anything other than pass
>the FCC Amateur radio exam before I can "volunteer" to participate, turns my
>Amateur Radio hobby into a PROFESSION.
>
>If anyone desires to further their training (i.e. CPR course, etc.) it
>should be kept voluntary!
>
>I don't see a problem with "Bubba" pushing-to-mumble (participating) in any
>emergency situation if he has the desire to volunteer his time and whatever
>equipment he has.  A good net control operator can handle the traffic no
>matter how it comes in.
>
>Please keep Amateur radio a hobby. The key word is AMATEUR.
>
>73 de WA5JXY (Neil in Nashville)
>
>
>I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
>http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html
>
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