“Teamwork, Togetherness and Training”
CONVERGENCE is the term used when onlookers and uninvited
helpers “appear out of nowhere” at disasters, accidents, and other emergency
events. It is very common and usually adds to an already difficult problem
faced by Emergency Management officials, EC’s, DEC’s and Incident Commanders.
APATHY, which means lack of interest, is another common behavior
that we must face. If you have been in the Ares/Races emergency communications
organization, for even a short amount of time, you probably have heard some ham
say something like this: “I am available for a REAL emergency, but in the
meantime don’t bother me with any preparedness or training
activities. I already know how to operate a radio.” The
problem with this is, even if they do know proper emergency net operating
procedures, they will not be familiar the local and regional emergency plans.
They will not know, and will not have had much previous experience working with
the regular members of the team. They also may present a public relations
headache for an EC, DEC, or SEC. THE POINT IS THIS; They may be the best
fighter pilot in the world, but if they are not familiar with the battle plan
they will do more harm than good!!! They may be the best doctor in the world,
but if they are not familiar with the patient’s care plan they will do more harm
than good!!! This is not to say that walk on volunteer operators, who
have not been through the training and are not members of the Ares/Races local
teams can not be utilized. But first we must recognize the order of things, so
let’s look at our options. Our first resource of volunteers should always
be the trained local teams that are registered and equipped. The second
resource to use is the registered and trained Ares/Races members or a team
from a nearby jurisdiction. Our third resource is, or can be, the
walk on volunteer operator. This, as mentioned earlier, is the phenomena known
as “convergence” and is very common during emergencies and disasters. These
volunteer operators are usually, but not always, undisciplined and unfamiliar
with Ares/Races SOP’s and Emergency Plans, and they often cause more problems
than they solve. However, as I said before, this does not mean they cannot be
utilized. One reality of emergency communications is that during disasters you
will need more trained operators than you will have. Walk on operators, after
they have registered with the local Emergency Management officials, can be
utilized in non critical areas such as guides to teams that are not familiar
with the local area, or as runners, they can even be used as back ups for the
trained members, this could free up some of your trained members who were being
used in these non critical areas.
NOW, I am not advocating that you need not be trained, or that if your not trained that you can still volunteer and be used. What I am saying, is that when you became a licensed Amateur Radio Operator you understood that you were bound by the FCC’s rules and regulations with respect to Part 97 in which the very first paragraph [97.1(a)] states; “Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.” This is probably the best known aspect of amateur radio around the world in the eyes of the public. In hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, missing persons, airplane crashes or other accidents and disasters that affect the general population, trained amateur radio emergency communications teams are there providing their skills. I realize that amateur radio is a hobby, but it came with an obligation. If we are going to continue to enjoy the everyday use of our frequency spectrum as we know it today, we must use it wisely, we must train ourselves in the art of emergency communications, the EC’s and DEC’s need to train their Ares/Races members and thus turn in their monthly reports. Folk’s, our frequencies are under attack even as I speak, and unless we protect them we will loose them.
The title of this lesson plan is “Teamwork, Togetherness and Training.” Let’s take a look at the definition of each of these three words as they relate to us;
1. TEAMWORK: Close co-operation within a group in accomplishing a common aim.
2. TOGETHERNESS: In concert; in union; united; with one another; mutually, and without intermission.
3. TRAINING: To prepare.
The lack of any of these three words in any given organization can only spell out two words which is FAILURE and CHAOS.
Written by Tom Harris, k5wth
02-08-06