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Author Topic: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned  (Read 1520 times)

KG7LEA

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Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« on: August 06, 2019, 06:50:06 AM »

For our training I am collecting lessons learned, tips, and tricks for amateur radio support of emergency shelters. Does anyone have any real world experience they can share?
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W9FIB

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2019, 03:40:29 AM »

Probably the biggest thing I learned over the years is this...your not a communicator there to help, but rather your a helper who can also communicate. Sitting in a corner with a radio vs helping people in time of need and being able to send a message out. Which serves the community more in an emergency?
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

WR3V

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2019, 02:07:14 PM »

I just sat through a Red Cross shelter presentation where the presenter as much as said, We don t really need you guys, we have our own radios.  If you show up, be ready to be trained for a needed task, as you will be bored otherwise.   Not exactly what the group expected to hear.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2019, 02:09:16 PM by WR3V »
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N9AOP

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2019, 11:40:22 AM »

Its the same at an EOC.  You may be communicating on a ham radio or a company radio or running a Xerox (actually a Savin in our case).  If you are at all interested in helping to see an incident to a good conclusion, the task assigned too you shouldn't matter.
Art
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K6CPO

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2019, 12:46:01 PM »

One of the members of my club (and the local ARES group) deployed with the Red Cross to the fires in the malibu area last year.  He didn't speak on the radio one time during his entire deployment, but instead performed the shelter support tasks required of him by the Red Cross.

If you want to be only a communicator during a disaster, then volunteering in a shelter is not the way to do it.
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KK4GGL

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2019, 02:51:50 PM »

Its the same at an EOC.  You may be communicating on a ham radio or a company radio or running a Xerox (actually a Savin in our case).  If you are at all interested in helping to see an incident to a good conclusion, the task assigned too you shouldn't matter.
Art
It may be the same at **some** EOCs.
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73,
Rick KK4GGL

KB8VUL

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2019, 07:03:16 AM »

Again, this is the way that Ham Radio is going.  You need to bring new things to the table.  Being able to communicate is swell, if there is a need for that.  If not you are copy boy. 
So think outside the box.  Things like creating an email path for cell phones or kiosk email PC's for folks in the shelter to get messages out to the loved ones of those displaced by a disaster.  It's still a technology, and NOT something that the Red Cross or EMA is going to do or is even worried about doing.  It doesn't assist them in managing the crisis, but for the people displaced, it's really piece of mind and would be appreciated.
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WI9MJ

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2019, 10:09:42 AM »

We are seeing a lot more served agencies that mow have their own backup and emergency systems in place for communications breakdowns. Some of these backups take away ordinary citizen communications as cell systems prioritize public safety comms in emergencies.
This leaves a big gap that ARES would be ideally suited to fill as people still need to get health and welfare information to friends and loved ones. There will be an increased need for this in the future as public safety agencies take more priority on the limited cell service and limited internet available during an emergency.
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KB8VUL

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2019, 07:48:36 PM »

I just sat through a Red Cross shelter presentation where the presenter as much as said, We don t really need you guys, we have our own radios.  If you show up, be ready to be trained for a needed task, as you will be bored otherwise.   Not exactly what the group expected to hear.

I guess I have to ask, why is this such a surprise?   Consider that these folks need to absolutely have communications.  It's really not feasible for them to rely on ham operators that are volunteers to show up and do the communications thing in all situations and conditions and be prepared to do so at a moments notice regardless of their current situation. 
There are a couple hard truths to ham radio and it's operators. 

First is we are aging.  Have you been to a ham fest in the last 5 years?  It looks like a field trip from the old folks home.  I understand that Ensure and Depends will both have booths at Dayton next year right next to Kenwood and Icom.  When it ACTUALLY hits the fan, are these fols going to be in any condition to come out and operate?  And here is where the rubber meets the road.  I have a chain saw, road flares and tow ropes that sit at the ready to be tossed in my van so I can go to work during a disaster.  I am a commercial radio tech when I get called, it's from a 911 center or some public safety agency that has a radio problem.  Yes, I have had to cut my way down a road, or up a hill to a tower site to get communications back up for a Sheriffs office.  that was actually me and two deputies with chain saws,  and we still had to hike part of it, and we were in a HMVEE.  But I get paid to do that and it's part of my job.  Is some 60 yr old guy gonna be able to do that?  Maybe, but probably not.  But the Red Cross NEEDS communications.  So they went out and bought radios and a system and they now have their own comms. 

The second thing is we are VOLUNTEERS.  Meaning that we can show up or not and they have no control over that.  So again, they are better off to have their own people there doing ti so they know it's going to get done.
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N9LCD

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2019, 06:24:09 AM »

KB8VUL:

Any truth to the rumors that Weight Watchers will also be at Dayton?

Otherwise, RIGHT ON!

N9LCD

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KB2FCV

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RE: Support to Shelters—Lessons Learned
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2019, 11:47:39 AM »

I just sat through a Red Cross shelter presentation where the presenter as much as said, We don t really need you guys, we have our own radios.  If you show up, be ready to be trained for a needed task, as you will be bored otherwise.   Not exactly what the group expected to hear.

Not surprised at all. Most emergency organizations carry their own communications and there is little to no need for people who are strictly radio operators these days. I learned that early on when I was briefly involved with RACES in the early 90's. As others stated - if you want to do more, get involved and just happen to be a person who can communicate. Anyways, I wanted to be more involved than just sitting in EOC's during RACES drills and never getting called to a real event so I went out and joined my local volunteer fire dept instead. Been at that 27 years now. My experience as a ham comes in handy now and then - providing knowledge on radio involved projects.. or even when responding / listening to the radio.. I can pick things out a little better if it's a noisy signal as I'm used to picking DX out of the noise... but that's about the extent. Depending on what you want to do - get involved with your local red cross, your local cert, your local volunteer ems, your local volunteer fire department...
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