EMC257 It takes time
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  

EMC257 It takes time                Release 10/2/00

A newly appointed ACS or RACES officer can have a difficult time
learning how far to go with his/her role with the government they
are to serve. 

It is not uncommon for the newly appointed officer to wait to be
used, to go into the office occassionally and expect the unit to
be called upon for this or that. While that may work in some
places, in most instances it can easily result in the unit
eventually fading away.

While there are aspects that come quickly to a new appointee,
there are details and nuances that cannot be learned without
repeatedly being IN the facility during normal working hours day
in and day out, week by week, year by year.

This characteristic was observed numerous times over the first
five years of the nine that I have served as a volunteer State
ACS and State RACES Officer. For eight of these 9+ years I went
into the facility several days a week 52 weeks of each year and
acquired an understanding and involvement with State OES that
could not have occurred any other way.

Obviously it may vary from government to government due to the
personalities of the people that make up that agency, the way
the agency is funded and how it is connected in the financial
structure of government. Politics can be a major influence,
whether it be in-agency politics or the political leaning of
the locals in office and/or the connections, such as who is
Sheriff, Mayor or Governor.

Difficulties may arise about short budgets and overworked people.
For example, in some areas it is common to find someone with
three "titles"; i.e., Sheriff, Coroner and Emergency Manager.

Then, too,  people in government may have no understanding of
how to work with professional communications volunteers. Also,
unfortunately, there will be those that don't want to find out
and can give a "cold shoulder" to volunteers in general because
(a) they are just too busy; (b) they don't want to be involved; 
(c) they had a bad experience; (d) they don't want (or cannot
rationalize) the responsibility for an EMCOMM Unit.

If there is no one in the government unit that really WANTS a
volunteer emergency communications unit, there is very little
that anyone can do to change that situation until there is a
change of interest or an emergency that drives home the need.

Surprising experiences can come to the ACS or Radio Officer who
is willing to go into the agency on a regular periodic basis and
becomes part of their staff (albeit unpaid) in a real sense. It
isn't always easy to find such a person but it is worth the
search. In my instance I was asked to serve on committees with
paid staff and participate in modifying state regulations. When a
paid staffer died suddenly I was hired as a temporary replacement
until someone could be brought in to fill that position, then I
reverted back to the role of volunteer.

The role of an ACS and RACES Officer can be very interesting
even though it can also be quite frustrating at times. I hope 
some of those who read this may someday have that experience.

 Cary Mangum, W6WWW        E-mail: cary.mangum@macnexus.org
                           ---
Bulletins are on the ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov  -and a
Landline BBS: 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface)
EOM