EMC270 Pablum or Popcorn? 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 EMC270 Pablum or Popcorn? For release When I started on this bulletin, the title Pablum or Popcorn jumped into mind. I think it means two approaches to the way the bulletins can be written, and used. Candidly, the popcorn approach is preferred by this writer and, hopefully, by most readers; as the topic is often one that needs to be warmed up locally in order for it to become useful. That is, the subject needs to really "pop" up and spring out into the minds of those who are doing the heating (popping) in a topical sense. These bulletins accomplish less than that to which they are capable if you, the reader, do not make sure they get into the local discussion where ever you are located. These are not intended as "an authority"; rather as popcorn, something to heat up and use in your EMCOMM unit in some tasteful way! Add your own butter and salt! Ideas and interpretations are valuable to those of us with open minds and a willingness to discuss, relate, consider, implement and test. Only by trying new ideas and methods do we grow, either personally or as communicators. Just because "we've done 'it' this or that way for 50 years" (or whatever) does not mean that what the "it" is about can be the only way. It doesn't mean that there may not be some aspect or way to approach and do the "it" differently. After all it might produce astonishingly positive results far beyond one's own imagination to even guess at what can occur with change. So, in a way, the bulletins are generally focused towards a change in thinking, a different perspective, another way of looking at a topic. They can create opportunities to be used locally in your community, in your communications unit, even though it may not appear so at first reading. Our thanks to those readers who have chosen to provide us with their ideas, suggestions, queries and requests for further clarification. Sometimes the bulletins don't allow enough space to adequately cover the topic as we try to keep them to a certain limit to make it easier to read as well as to use over the radio packet networks. If you have some kernels of wisdom that can help others in EMCOMM unit operations or management please consider sharing them with this writer for use in future bulletins. Submit suggestions, topics or comments to cary.mangum@macnexus.org or cary_mangum@oes.ca.gov --- 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 to subscribe or to unsubscribe Bulletins are on a Landline BBS: 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard\interface). EOM