EMC160 Harter CAP Meeting Notes 2/3 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 EMC160 Harter CAP Meeting Notes 2/3 For release 11/30/98 Continuation of Stan Harter notes following a CAP meeting: "There is a distinct need for CAP's radio communications capabilities, particularly on a statewide basis and in the rural counties. It is recognized, however, that CAP's ability to field communications resources may be at its lowest level since 1955. This calls for the restoration of the one-time ability to communicate from state and county EOCs, to field many mobile and portable units, and provide skilled radio operators for any radio circuit in the EOCs. There is a particular need for HF-SSB mobile radio units and an understanding of NVIS -- the practice of Near Vertical Incidence Skywave base and mobile HF radio antenna systems. "Quoting from the draft study report on volunteers: 'The following example may be helpful in identifying what volunteers could do for an agency following a disaster. Many of the functions and tasks below require some training; however, all have been performed by volunteers in past disasters and local governments and other agencies: Data entry, typing, filing Debris clean-up Hotline and phone bank staff Community outreach, information, dissemination Supply distribution, loading, unloading, and transport Shelter staff/food and water service Runner/courier Damage assessment EOC support; collect information, draft reports, take messages Counseling Communications support - internal and external Reconnaissance photography Crowd control, security support Child care Heavy equipment operation Sandbagging Translation Legal advocacy Supervision and management "The discussion that followed showed that any CAP unit has the capability of supporting any of these needs with possibly the exception of child care. CAP should understand that all of the CAP unit personnel should not expect to provide just one service; i.e., different people have different skills to bring to the incident operations. The State OES representative (a former Wing director of emergency services) suggested every unit develop a skills matrix for every person and skill; thus, at a glance, you can find necessary people in a hurry. (Concludes next week) --- To subscribe to bulletins, use the Subscription Services web page at . If you don't have web access, just send an e-mail message to . - For training assistance contact the ACS Training Officer at the web site or send an email to Dave_Larton@oes.ca.gov - Submissions for future ACS bulletins: please send to: State ACS Officer Cary Mangum: Cary_Mangum@oes.ca.gov or Deputy ACS Officer Ken Bourne: Ken_Bourne@oes.ca.gov Bulletins are on the ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov -and a Landline BBS: 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface); and a FTP Archive: ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming for some bulletins. For earlier ones: ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/races EOM