EMC213 RIMS Forms 4 
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  

EMC213 RIMS Forms 4          For release   12/6/99

Continued from Bulletins 211-212

It is recognized there may be those who will argue that any
data passed in an emergency is better than no data, and
while that has some merit, it misses the point. The point
is this: systems - like the RIMS - are so successful that
unless EMCOMM units for government are able to successfully
provide the EXACT same RESULTS over Amateur frequencies it
is easily foreseeable that government use of Amateurs will
decline materially, and possibly, completely. 

Why? Three very important reasons: 
1. When there is no real need for an unit for a long period,
it is almost impossible to keep an unit intact. Few, if any,
Amateurs want to belong to an unit where their talents are
not put to active use.
2. Learning, and using, such computerized systems by the
EMCOMM unit (especially Amateurs) is a sure way to keep
the Amateurs involved with the real day-to-day use of the
in-house agency systems. It speaks loudly to the affect
that they want to be relied upon for use of the RIMS (or
similar) systems.
3. Trained EMCOMM unit personnel, thoroughly familiar with
and experienced in the use of RIMS ( or similar) forms
means that government has a true communications reserve
that is closely meshed into it's real day to day life.
The smaller the local Operational Area the more it needs
this trained reserve STAFF. In particular, Amateurs have
the capabilities to develop this local service to their
governments. 

Until we develop a process (possibly a "mask" in a laptop)
where by the data can be sent and received so that it will
automatically import into that "mask", such data must either
be send by voice or as a pure text format. 

To send such data in either format would require using the
form, column and item numbers. With both sender and receiver
having the form on hand essential data can be filled in its
proper place. Here is an example:
>From XXX OPArea to REOC
Form 1c (Event/Incident Report by OP Area).
Item 19 Prognosis  worsening. Wind increasing from South
No other update
Authority: (name date, time)
Acknowledge.
End of message.
                            ---   ---
RIMS series continues in Bulletin 214
                        
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