EMC236  Shortage of Hams 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  


EMC236   Shortage of Hams 2/2      For release 5/8/00


Continuation of article by Glorria Morrison, Emergency
Services Coordinator for the Huntington Beach Fire
Department.


"The Register article mentioned how the shortage of hams was 
brought  home in September when Hurricane Floyd threatened
south Florida. The hams who normally staff the shelters, the
EOC's, and assist the emergency responders where no where to be
found. They just didn't have enough to go around.


Ham radio operators become crucial to a community when telephone
lines go down, providing links between  shelters and Emergency
Operations Centers. Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services, or
RACES, coordinate with emergency managers."


Her remarks then reference an article quoting the decline in
American Radio Relay League membership beginning in l997, which
was about the time that the Internet began exploding. She then
continues:


"The Internet is certainly a tool that will be used in emergencies
But it is dependent on phone lines that may not be operating. 
When a major earthquake, flood, tornado, hurricane, or massive
explosion occurs, the phone lines to the impacted area can be
destroyed. The only known 100% fully dependable communications
system is amateur radio, or hams.


Huntington Beach is lucky enough to have 85 RACES members. This
highly technical group built a packet radio station (a data
system that utilizes amateur radio  waves to communicate)  
and is working on an amateur television station for the City.


In addition to the RACES group, there is our CERT Communicator
group of 13 Certified CERT Communicators dedicated volunteers
who can help support our communications needs. But the numbers
are not nearly high enough." 


Describing classes and learning opportunities, she continues:


"Yes, as the article states, we have had a drop in the number of
amateur radio operators in the country. But we can remedy this
problem locally by either recruiting existing hams to join RACES
or recruiting new hams to take training classes and join the CERT
Communicators. Your community needs you. Are you up to the
challenge?


Ham radio is important to the City's emergency response. If you
are looking for a fun hobby and are interested in becoming a
community volunteer who will assist in a disaster, join us.
Glorria, KE6ATG"    (end of extracted article from January 2000
CERT Newsletter).
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EOM