911 and HAM RADIO

[Guest guest]

Hi Toni,

Your department's needs are unique in terms of what you need from the HAM

RADIO community:

Your utilization of HAM RADIO probably will evolve over a period of time,

and will be a function of

your dept's needs and the local HAM RADIO community's abilities. Perhaps

the best way to define

that relationship is to just spend some time with a few key people who are

HAM RADIO operators

and who are civic-minded. Brain-storm about the things that have been

lacking in your department,

especially those areas where your budget and your staff come up short. This

need not be just about

radios and antennas.

Here are a few sugestions based on experience:

1. Work with the HAM RAIDO community at large, not just with one club. HAMS

tend to be chatty (radios) and

very technically oriented. Some will talk a problem to death, but never do

anything very useful to your

department.

2. Beware of individuals with large egos: there is a great deal of

competition among HAMS. Find two or three people with a mind to work with

you. A few simple people who want to really help, will out-perform an army

of talkers.

3. Put the HAMS into your auto-paging system. If you find that they are not

responding quickly and reliably at any hour of the day or night, move on to

use other individuals. Don't wait for a real disaster, thinking that the

heat of the moment will someway galvanize them into action...trust me, It

ain't-a-gonna-happen!

4. Whatever the eventual nature of the relationship between your department

and the HAM RADIO community ,expect lots of drills and practice. Expect

these drills to be documented and the outcomes shared with you or the

designated co-ordinator. Communicate your expectations, and if it doesn't

happen, move on to find someone who will work with you.

5. Start simply and know that you have this basic functions covered. After

that, you can add more responsibility, authority and tasks.

I know that this is very general, but it is the heart of what we have

experienced. Our current program has married the Sheriff's Auxiliary with

volunteer dispatchers and HAM RADIO operators. There is a modest level of

training which is ongoing. We now have a small but dependable group who can

be responsible for the Mobile Comm. Center: From the County Fair to a

disaster, this group is able to perform basic tasks for the general welfare

at very little cost to the county. Our primary goal is to establish our

dependability in performing basic emergency communications. Perhaps later

we can re-invent the wheel.

Lt. Roy Combs (KB9RNA)

Bradley, IL

to subscribe to the 'testamenttalkers' (an e-mail Bible discussion) go to

/group/testamenttalkers

No part of this message may be reproduced without my express written

consent.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 20:38:51 EDT

From: E911gal136@...

Subject: 9-1-1 and Ham Radio Operators

Attention any Ham Radio Operators out there !!!

Last week I gave a talk on 9-1-1 (of course, for to a group of

local

Ham Radio operators. We used them during Y2K as a stand by backup and

fortunately, they were not needed. They had approached my Comm manager

about assisting us and getting a more organized approach to it. What I did

was tell them how we work, give them alot of info about the type of calls we

take and the type of callers we deal with, and stuff like that. Having no

idea whoat it means to be a Ham Radio operator, I couldnt come up with real

specific ideas as far as their radios are concerned (except for 1 or 2).

What I am looking for (Mad Max in TN this might be right up your alley if

nobody else's), is someone who is maybe a dispatcher and/or ham radio

operator or knows alot about them as far as assisting the comm center in an

emergency. IF anyone out there has any info, please email me on or off the

list.. Thanks !! As always......

Toni Wyman, (CTO)...Gwinnett County Police, GA (just N of HotLanta)