EMC076 Communications Only? 2/2
To:   Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
To:   Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
By:   Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the
      California Governor's Office of Emergency Services  

EMC076 Communications Only? 2/2            For release 4/21/97
(continuation from EMC075)

In today's government agency there are often new, interesting and
complex COMMUNICATIONS facilities and systems. Some of these are as
intriguing and beneficial as radio and far more challenging. This can
include learning to use and keep operational such systems and equipment
as copiers, computers (MAC, DOS, Unix), digital networks, FAX machines,
and Public Service Radio systems -- just to name a few.
 
Participating in such activities helps to enhance the participant's
understanding of the agency and its unwritten protocol. Why? Because it
puts the person in contact with on-going activities and events that
bring out those many aspects that can ONLY be discerned in such ways.
 
Such visibility raises the appreciation level of the unit in the minds
of those who will make essential judgments in the future. Judgments
based on budgets and new systems. We see this happening frequently when
the units' leaders and key participants are not regularly and frequently
visible; the units are allowed to die-off.
 
Until unit participants thoroughly understand the unwritten nuances and
protocol's of the agency, it is far too easy for a participant to be the
cause of the unit being left to die on the vine for lack of use because
someone fouled up. After a foul-up, the agency may never speak of the
situation but just let the unit die. There are too many instances of
that occurring to deny that this is very unimportant.
 
Learning new systems like a new Lotus Notes-based RIMS (Response
Information Management System), that may be used to implement a mandated
SEMS (Standardized Emergency Management System), equips the participant
with a better and necessary understanding of the system. It also
provides potential assistance to overwhelmed staff during emergencies.
 
                                  ---
ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov   ACS Landline BBS 916-262-1657
FTP archive:ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming for new
bulletins and ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/races for earlier bulletins
OES ACS staff manager Stan Harter Email: stanharter@juno.com
State Chief ACS Officer Cary Mangum, Email crm@oes1.oes.ca.gov
or via Packet W6WWW@KM6PX.#NOCAL.USA.NA

Ideas, materials and topics are solicited for use in these bulletins.
Send messages WITH attachments to cmangum@mail.macnexus.org
EOM EMC076