EMC285 Unit Organization
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  

EMC285  Unit Organization       Release 4/16/01

Unit Organization

In keeping with last weeks bulletin on sharing ideas, let's look
at how units are staffed and how that staff may be organized for
ACS and RACES units which serve a government agency directly.

First, the ACS or RACES Officer (i.e.,, the chief administrative
officer) is chosen and appointed by the paid-staff official that
is the government link to the unit. That official may ask for
names of possible selections but his/her decision is final.
It is best if the person chosen has had effective management
experience.

As to other staff, the choice is normally left to the chief
officer thus appointed. In many situations he/she may be the
only one who makes the decision, while in other units the key
staff is chosen by consultation between the unit coordinator
and the ACS or RACES Officer. 

Stan Harter, the first paid-staff coordinator for the RACES and
ACS programs in California, maintained that staff is NEVER to be
selected by vote of unit participants. This was based on his work
with RACES for over 35 years as coordinator for two states. From
my 40 years as a senior executive and CEO (and as an officer in
several volunteer organizations over that same time period) I
agree, for good management is rarely obtained by participant
vote.

The METHOD of unit organization may be along normal management
models, or it can be unique. In California, where the ICS system
is mandated for RESPONSE units, unit STRUCTURE may be according
to the ICS (Incident Command System) model. Alternately, it may
be a normal management structure that can shift to the ICS model
or RESPONSE activities.

Now for examples. The ACS unit serving the California Highway
Patrol in the Inland Empire area of Southern California is
organized along the ICS model:

                     Chief Radio Officer
                             |
    Safety Officer ----------|------- Public Information Officer
    Liaison Officer ---------|------------------Training Officer
                             |
                             |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      |          |           |           |              |
 Operations   Planning   Logistics    Finance     Administration
 
 They have an ARO (assistant radio officer) for each position in
 the above chart. In some to the areas there are "group leaders"
 with specific assignments:
 
ARO Operations: A Group Leader for each of the four (4) different 
                geographic areas
ARO Planning:   Alternate Radio Group Leader and a SOP/Policy Group
                Leader
ARO Logistics:  Equipment Group Leader; Repeater Coordination Group
                Leader
ARO Administration: Records and Reports Group Leader; Personnel
                    Group Leader (process applications, maintain 
                    personnel files/records, current roster)             
_______________    _______________   _____________
Those willing to share your unit organization PLEASE send a text
message with the information to
Cary Mangum, W6WWW        E-mail: cary.mangum@macnexus.org
                           ---
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EOM