EMC111  RACES limited to Amateurs? 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  

EMC111 RACES Limited to Amateurs? 2/2   For release 12/22/97

Continuation in response to the query:
          "Doesn't the word Amateur in Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Services (RACES) mean the service is limited to
licensed Amateurs?"

There are emergency service units, such as the ARES, which
do limit the participants to those only with an Amateur radio
license, and that is their prerogative.  However, the RACES
and other EMCOM units, such as the Auxiliary Communications
Service (ACS), do not have that restriction except where 
misinformation has lead to direct intent to restrict it to
amateurs. Such limitation is likely why REACT participants
-- even those with an Amateur license -- have been refused
participation in some RACES units.

Query: " So the RACES isn't only for Amateurs as trained
communicators?" 

Response: That's right. Communicators can come from a variety
of backgrounds, not just Amateur Radio. However, to actually
operate on the Amateur Radio Service frequencies, a license
is required, but experienced non-amateur communicators can
be used under the supervision of the appropriate licensee.

That use of non-amateurs on Amateur radio frequencies really
IS NOT what this is all about and it is seldom done, but in
a deep emergency could if needed and handled properly. Rather
it is that participants in an emergency communications unit -
such as the ACS and the RACES - can handle many non-amateur
communications that are of inestimable value to government.
Part of the changing scene - that so disturbs some amateurs -
is governments reliance on wired systems (say computers) and
their own government frequency radios. Yet, there is a place
for emergency communications on Amateur radio frequencies,
but the fact of life today is that a unit that cannot expand
its visions and usefulness beyond the amateur frequencies is
likely self-limiting and headed for eventual disbanding. Yet,
there are exceptions, such as in rural areas where government
communications systems may be quite limited, making reliance
on amateur frequencies a fact of life in that area.

One source of trained communicators, for both the ACS and the
RACES, is the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). There are many amateur
licensees in the CAP, but holding the amateur license doesn't
in and of itself make them a good communicator. What does
lead to becoming a good communicator is the discipline that
CAP teaches and requires on its frequencies. Amateur radio
also has its area of discipline training: highly efficient
nets, dx operations, emergency nets to name a few. But just
rag-chewing (talking at random between licensees) does not
mean one is a communicator; and, as stated, communicators
are needed in government units beyond those who operate on
the radio. 

In today's complex communications arena there are many systems
useful in emergencies. A communicator may come from a computer
background as well. In the Northridge earthquake the CA state
OES supplied several computer specialists to assist in the
communications needs. None of them were licensed Amateurs,
but one did later become a licensee. An emergency is no
respector of the type of communications that may be knocked
out of service. There may be a need to support a vital system
other than radio, and astute units are well aware of this fact.

End.
                                  ---
ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov       FTP archive:
ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming for new
bulletins and ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/races for earlier ones.
Landline BBS: 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface).
OES ACS staff manager Stan Harter :Stanly_Harter@oes.ca.gov 
State Chief ACS Officer Cary Mangum: Cary_Mangum@oes.ca.gov

EOM EMC111