EMC322 Wildfire Volunteers 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 EMC322 Wildfire Volunteers 2/2 For releast 12/31/01 (CONTINUATON FROM 321 ON THE California Department of Forestry Volunteers in Prevention Program -VIP). 5. Assist CDF in communications during fire emergencies. 6. Inspect rural homes to advise homeowners of proper vegetative clearance around structures and safe incinerator standards. 7. Inspect equipment such as chain saws, lawn mowers, and tractors to see that they are equipped with legal spark arresters and in fire safe conditions. Volunteers may apply time spent working in the VIP program toward experience needed to meet entrance requirements for future forestry examinations. Citizens performing voluntary fire prevention duties are covered with Workers Compensation Insurance. Unreimbursed expenses incurred may be considered "contributions" for Federal and State income tax purposes. The VIP Amateur Radio program is an important program in several of California's 22 Ranger Units. Some Amateur Radio operators serve as "shadows" with battalion chiefs and fire information officers. (See Bulletins 161, 164, and 208.) Many VIP communications volunteers are in a RACES unit. The VIP can turn to the RACES for mutual aid support and vice versa. The "radio officer" in a VIP unit is called the "hamco" or ham coordinator. In some counties the county RACES unit and the VIP communicators are one and the same. Both activities have training requirements to assure safety, compliance with the incident command system, (ICS), and commonality of operations and performance. ---Stan Harter, KH6GBX (reissue of RACES Bulletins 238 and 239) --------- HAVE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. ENJOY!!. To get the bulletin each week send a blank e-mail message to to subscribe, or to to unsubscribe. You'll get a confirmation message to which you must reply in order for the command to "take." Bulletins archives: ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov/ ftp.ucsd.edu/emcomm or ftp.oes.ca.gov/ACS/EMCOMM and a telephone BBS 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface). EOM