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N7WR on 2005-11-05
In response to the original question about obtaining federal funds for amateur radio Emcomm there is a way to do it. Many of us in public safety have taken advantage of Homeland Security (DHS) grants. There is one catagory of those grants that hams (in partnership) can qualify for. Amateur radio Emcomm groups can partner with a local public safety agency and form a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). CERT Programs are eligible for DHS grants for training and equipping. In fact CERT has its own grant catagory separate from what law enforcement, fire, etc compete for. With a successful CERT grant you can purchase, distribute, and make operational communications equipment (for example linked wide area repeater systems with emergency back up power) pre disaster. Others have done it and you can too.

KC0NYK on 2005-10-23
Once again the naysayers and bad mouthers are in full stupidity. We are ham operators, we can put out siganls when most county supersystems are out of commission and do...guess what, that is what we do. I get tired of hearing all these guys bitch about things they don't get to do, or the way some areas do or don't do with our help.
The bottom line is that if you are able to help in some way, it dosn't matter if you are making the rescue or holding the horse. If you contribute to the collective good then you can feel you did your part. Sitting around bitching doesn't do much for the group or the system. Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. It is as simple as that! I work with a group which does have a couple of yoyo's in it, so what; they are sincerly trying to help and in some ways do. Myself, I can no longer because of medical situation respond to the scene of the incidents and render emergency care as I once did...however, I can and do pass H&W traffic for SATERN, Red Cross and others, relay information for areas in need and generally help where I can. Once upon a time I was Urban S&R, Disaster Service Team, volunteer firefighter/paramedic, etc. Now I do what I can where I can..why don't the complainers do the same thing? Things would be infinately better for all.

K7FD on 2005-10-23
Of course they'll spend 2 billion dollars. They'd spend it to make a new bumper car playland if they could. In govt, first you get some grant dough, then hire (usually a good buddy) as 'Director' for 100K plus a year. Of course, he or she will know very little about the job they have been hired to do. Then they'll add some staff (existing office favorites) to the new program. Next thing you know, you've got a bunch more dummies on the govt feed box.

What's this all got to do w/ the govt setting up an emergency network? Nothing. The same thing their Emergency Network will accomplish when it's implemented.

AI2IA on 2005-10-22
A good ham is task oriented. If you volunteer to help in emergencies, you do what you do best - you operate like a ham. You bring credit to yourself and amateur radio. If you do more than this, you are on your own doing your own thing. Don't confuse that behavior, good or bad, with being an amateur radio emergency volunteer. Do one thing well and you are a master. Do many things poorly and you are, well, a fool.

BHARDIMON on 2005-10-22
Way too many whack job freaks involved in EmComm. The credibility of Hams is way beyond fixing. Most, if not all, Public Service agencies would rather have the girlscouts around than Hams. No matter what they may say to your face....NOBODY WANTS OR NEEDS HAMS AROUND IN AN EMERGCENCY. PERIOD

KG6NJW on 2005-10-22
I recently attended an ARES meeting, by invitation (they
are looking for new members). I don't know how it works
elsewhere, but in this area ARES is part of the Sheriff's
Reserve, and wear the same uniform as regular deputies.
They use only radios and equipment that are furnished by
the Sheriff's department (i.e. - not ham band radios), and
basically function as reserve dispatchers for the Sheriff's
department during emergencies, searches and special
events. They require that you have a ham license to join,
but you really don't need any ham training to do the job,
anymore than the regular police dispatchers do. You also
don't need any ham radios or gear, since ARES never uses
the ham bands for anything. If the Sheriff's Department
needs to communicate long distance on HF I'm pretty sure
the emergency center has the equipment to do so, and a
full-time employee qualified to do it. Bottom line - ARES
really isn't about ham radio, it's a division of the Sheriff's
Reserve. The County also works with RACES, but on a
much more reduced level. They won't let RACES people do
any dispatching, because the deputies complain that the
RACES people talk too slow. Any RACES people that show
up at special events usually end up doing non-radio jobs
(searching, directing traffic, etc.). I can't really see hams
being much help in an emergency - the County has many
millions of dollars worth of emergency gear, extra radios,
towers, redundant equipment, generators, etc. It's hard to
compete with that.

WA4MJF on 2005-10-22
You're not only a fool, DIPOLEYAGI,
but have trouble with telling the truth.
I have no pix nor avaitar on www.hamsexy.com.
BTW, for those who don't know about that site,
it is way COOL! However, not for he faint
of heart, nor those who can't take a put
down or two :-)


73 de Ronnie

KC0KP on 2005-10-21
I cant believe the negative comments. Yeah, there are some goofy guys running around with yellow lights on their car. But there are a lot of people doing some good work. I work with guys from Jefferson County, Colorado, that acutally went and got their red cards to support wildfire suppression. They did a lot of work on Haymen and other major wildfires. They need the cards even in support. Once it becomes a type 1 incident, no card, go home.
I command a communications vehicle that can operate from DC to light. It has conventional, trunked, encrypted and plain old narrow band FM. All of it can be tied through an ACU1000. Yet there are huge gaps in communication that I cannot begin to address without amateur help. EMS communications throughout our state is pretty much hit or miss. Another opportunity for hams. We just did an exercise with the feds, cops, EMS, state EOC, and area fire departments, There were hams from Salvation Army and Red Cross there. They were not part of the scenario or I would have put them to work relaying triage information to the hospitals. The way it was done in the exercise, victims were getting to the hospital before they knew they were even coming.
I suggest to the complainers to get involved in an incident command system course (they are on line from FEMA) or the ARRL course and get prepared. Or one day one of the goofs with the yellow lights may have to save your bacon.
And yes I am a public safety official responsible for the lives of half a million people. It is the greatest job in the world.
73s
Craig
Fire Systems Technical Specialist
Certified Firefighter 1
EMT-b
NWCG/NIMS Red Card

DIPOLEYAGI on 2005-10-21
RONNIE --
hey i saw your picture in Hamsexy -- totally cool -- where did you get those whoppy lights to match your Orange vests??....

DIPOLEYAGI on 2005-10-21
RONNIE --
hey i saw your picture in Hamsexy -- totally cool -- where did you get those whoppy lights to match your Orange vests??....

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