Training tip for 4-19-06਀
At last week's ARES meeting, a show of hands indicated that most of you have not ਀戀攀攀渀 攀砀瀀漀猀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀 䄀刀刀䰀 䔀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 䌀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀 伀渀氀椀渀攀 䌀漀甀爀猀攀 洀愀琀攀爀椀愀氀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 
important that you do so, and in order to accomplish this in a painless and ਀挀漀渀瘀攀渀椀攀渀琀 眀愀礀Ⰰ 眀攀✀爀攀 最漀椀渀最 琀漀 搀攀瘀漀琀攀 洀漀猀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀椀渀最 琀椀瀀猀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 昀攀眀 
months to covering this material. ਀
So just what is a communications emergency? It's when a critical communications ਀猀礀猀琀攀洀 昀愀椀氀甀爀攀 瀀甀琀猀 琀栀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀 愀琀 爀椀猀欀⸀ 䰀漀琀猀 漀昀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 挀椀爀挀甀洀猀琀愀渀挀攀猀 挀愀渀 搀愀洀愀最攀 
conventional communications systems, or overload them to the point that they're ਀甀猀攀氀攀猀猀⸀ 匀攀瘀攀爀攀 猀琀漀爀洀猀 愀渀搀 瘀椀漀氀攀渀琀 攀愀爀琀栀焀甀愀欀攀猀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 攀砀愀洀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 挀愀渀 欀渀漀挀欀 漀甀琀 
phone lines, cell towers, police radio towers, or electrical service to those ਀猀礀猀琀攀洀猀⸀ 䌀攀氀氀 瀀栀漀渀攀 猀礀猀琀攀洀猀 愀爀攀 搀攀猀椀最渀攀搀 琀漀 栀愀渀搀氀攀 瀀攀爀栀愀瀀猀 ㄀　─ 漀昀 猀甀戀猀挀爀椀戀攀爀猀 愀琀 
any one time, but in an emergency, even when the \system is fully functional, it ਀挀愀渀 焀甀椀挀欀氀礀 最攀琀 漀瘀攀爀氀漀愀搀攀搀 愀渀搀 攀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 挀愀氀氀猀 挀愀渀✀琀 最攀琀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀⸀ 䔀瘀攀渀 椀渀 渀漀爀洀愀氀 
circumstances, communications can fail. Underground cables can accidentally get ਀昀漀甀渀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 攀渀搀 漀昀 愀 戀愀挀欀ⴀ栀漀攀⸀ 䠀漀猀瀀椀琀愀氀 愀渀搀 㤀㄀㄀ 瀀栀漀渀攀 猀礀猀琀攀洀猀 挀愀渀 昀愀椀氀⸀ 
And emergencies can occur where there is no cell phone service, such as in ਀戀愀挀欀挀漀甀渀琀爀礀 猀攀愀爀挀栀攀猀 愀渀搀 眀椀氀搀昀椀爀攀猀⸀
਀匀漀 眀栀攀爀攀 搀漀 礀漀甀 昀椀琀 椀渀㼀
਀䔀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 漀爀 ∀攀洀挀漀洀洀∀ 瘀漀氀甀渀琀攀攀爀猀 挀漀洀攀 昀爀漀洀 愀 眀椀搀攀 瘀愀爀椀攀琀礀 漀昀 戀愀挀欀ⴀ
grounds, range of skills, and experience. What they have in common is a desire and ਀攀渀琀栀甀猀椀愀猀洀 昀漀爀 栀攀氀瀀椀渀最 漀琀栀攀爀猀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 渀漀 最愀椀渀 漀爀 最氀漀爀礀 椀渀 洀椀渀搀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 愀爀攀 眀椀氀氀椀渀最 琀漀 
work as a team player and take direction from served agencies and emergency coordi-਀渀愀琀漀爀猀 ⠀䔀䌀✀猀⤀ 愀渀搀 䄀猀猀椀猀琀愀渀琀 䔀䌀✀猀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 渀攀攀搀 琀漀 戀攀 愀戀氀攀 琀漀 琀栀椀渀欀 愀渀搀 愀挀琀 焀甀椀挀欀氀礀 
under stress. And they need to have a "can do" attitude.਀
Hams have been an emergency communications resource from the very beginning of the ਀栀漀戀戀礀⸀ 圀攀 栀愀瘀攀 琀栀攀 攀焀甀椀瀀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 猀欀椀氀氀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀瀀攀挀琀爀甀洀 渀攀挀攀猀猀愀爀礀 琀漀 昀甀氀昀椀氀氀 琀栀攀 
role of providing emcomm, even under poor conditions. We are licensed and pre-਀愀甀琀栀漀爀椀稀攀搀 昀漀爀 渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 愀渀搀 椀渀琀攀爀渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀⸀ 圀攀 挀愀渀 攀砀瀀愀渀搀 漀甀爀 渀攀琀眀漀爀欀 
capacity almost instantly to encompass a wider geographic area or relay messages ਀愀爀漀甀渀搀 琀栀攀 攀愀爀琀栀 琀漀 琀愀欀攀 愀搀瘀愀渀琀愀最攀 漀昀 瀀爀漀瀀愀最愀琀椀漀渀 瘀愀最愀爀椀攀猀⸀ 䌀漀洀洀攀爀挀椀愀氀 愀渀搀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀 
safety communications systems can't begin to do that. ਀
However, just having those qualifications is not sufficient to get the job done ਀瀀爀漀昀攀猀猀椀漀渀愀氀氀礀⸀ 匀漀洀攀 攀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀 猀欀椀氀氀猀 愀爀攀 瘀攀爀礀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 昀爀漀洀 眀栀愀琀 
you use in your daily ham radio life. Traffic handling and passing formal messages, ਀昀漀爀 椀渀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 甀渀氀攀猀猀 礀漀甀 搀漀 椀琀 攀瘀攀爀礀搀愀礀Ⰰ 洀愀礀 戀攀 猀琀爀愀渀最攀 愀渀搀 昀漀爀攀椀最渀 琀漀 礀漀甀 愀琀 昀椀爀猀琀⸀
Or if you haven't done it in a long time, you might be rusty. We'll cover that in਀氀愀琀攀爀 琀爀愀椀渀椀渀最 琀椀瀀猀⸀ 䘀漀爀 渀漀眀Ⰰ 樀甀猀琀 爀攀挀漀最渀椀稀攀 琀栀愀琀 眀椀琀栀漀甀琀 琀栀愀琀 猀欀椀氀氀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 攀砀愀洀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 
your effectiveness is limited.਀
You also need to recognize what you're not expected to be. You are NOT a first ਀爀攀猀瀀漀渀搀攀爀⸀ 夀漀甀 眀椀氀氀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 渀攀瘀攀爀 戀攀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 漀渀 琀栀攀 猀挀攀渀攀⸀ 夀漀甀 搀漀渀✀琀 渀攀攀搀 昀氀愀猀栀椀渀最 
lights and sirens on your vehicle. In fact, at the beginning of an emergency, you'll਀甀猀甀愀氀氀礀 渀漀琀 戀攀 漀昀 洀甀挀栀 甀猀攀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 漀渀氀礀 愀昀琀攀爀 愀 眀栀椀氀攀Ⰰ 眀栀攀渀 愀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀椀攀猀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 
general public learn about the extent of an emergency, that communications systems ਀昀愀椀氀 琀漀 戀攀 愀戀氀攀 琀漀 栀愀渀搀氀攀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀昀昀椀挀 漀爀 最攀琀 漀瘀攀爀氀漀愀搀攀搀⸀ 吀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 栀愀洀猀 愀爀攀 挀愀氀氀攀搀 
in to assist.਀
You are not in charge. You have no authority to make decisions or make demands on ਀愀渀礀 猀攀爀瘀攀搀 愀最攀渀挀礀⸀ 吀栀攀 漀渀氀礀 搀攀挀椀猀椀漀渀猀 礀漀甀 挀愀渀 洀愀欀攀 愀爀攀 眀栀攀琀栀攀爀 琀漀 瀀愀爀琀椀挀椀瀀愀琀攀 漀爀 
not (you are, after all, a volunteer), and decisions affecting your own health and ਀猀愀昀攀琀礀⸀ 䤀昀 礀漀甀 搀攀挀椀搀攀 琀漀 瀀愀爀琀椀挀椀瀀愀琀攀 礀漀甀 搀漀 猀漀 甀渀搀攀爀 琀栀攀 琀攀爀洀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀攀爀瘀攀搀 愀最攀渀挀礀⸀ 
You are there to fulfill THEIR communication needs and to comply with THEIR commands.਀
Recognize that you cannot do everything. When an agency you're serving runs short of਀洀攀搀椀挀愀氀 栀攀氀瀀Ⰰ 猀栀攀氀琀攀爀 洀愀渀愀最攀爀猀Ⰰ 漀爀 瀀漀氀椀挀攀 愀猀猀椀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 挀愀渀渀漀琀 樀甀洀瀀 椀渀 椀昀 礀漀甀✀爀攀
not trained and qualified for the task. You can certainly provide assistance when ਀礀漀甀 欀渀漀眀 眀栀愀琀 礀漀甀✀爀攀 搀漀椀渀最Ⰰ 栀漀眀攀瘀攀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 栀攀氀瀀 漀甀琀 眀椀琀栀 琀愀猀欀猀 漀昀 眀栀椀挀栀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 
is an integral part.਀
That's tonight's training tip. Next time we'll explore the nature of emcomm a little ਀搀攀攀瀀攀爀⸀
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