EMC206 Major Communications Change 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  

EMC206   Major Communications Change 2/2  For release 10/18/99

Continuation from EMC205:

Since l997 the RIMS system has continued to be improved to
provide better ways of passing essential data needed to assist
local governments (OA's) with their needs during an emergency.
Of course the telephone is still a vital link, but much of the
data that is so essential is now on the computer in the local
emergency management office - within minutes of when it becomes
available in the State computers.

Yes, any system can fail with the failure of the Internet, or
for other reasons. RIMS hasn't yet failed (which of no assurance
as emergency communicators know so well, but still a fact.) As
part of backup systems, the state has a Satellite Terminal in
each of the 58 OA's. Each is linked to State OES, over which it
and the OA can pass the RIMS data if necessary. In addition, the
Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is developing means to 
pass the RIMS data over various forms of radio should that be
required.

The major change in communications is that voice messages have
given way to computer data messages, hence communicators must
think in terms of digital data rather than in mike time. While
microphone (mike) usage may be necessitated in severe loss of
standard systems, the greater likelihood is that emergency
systems MUST pass digital data. The reason: - because that is
the form in which the emergency management community is NOW 
ACCUSTOMED to handling it on a day-to-day basis. To put it
very bluntly: the government emergency community has become
accustomed to the day-to-day use of SEMS forms in the RIMS
database and format. They EXPECT to see it that way. From
what we've witnessed with the use of RIMS, that is a quite
reasonable expectation which serves a very valid purpose.

Therefore, we must emphasize strongly that EMCOMM units need to
be able to place information in the hands of their served agency
in the same RIMS format that they are accustomed to on a daily
basis. Determine to do so, for that becomes a MAJOR benefit to
the EMCOMM unit. Instead of thinking in terms of "standard
radio message forms" think in terms of "RIMS FORMS". Do that 
and your unit will reap deep dividends of success.
(series end)
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