My wife received a “Come back to Lifetime Fitness” email this morning, and she did. She dragged all of us along with her, too.
So, now I’m a member of Lifetime Fitness again. This means I have no excuse for not getting back into the “get healthy” groove again.
I think I’m gonna die.
The Region 8 office of FEMA just posted the above pictured tweet.
Is 72 hours long enough anymore? I guess it depends on the size and impact of the incident.
Ask the residents of New Orleans during Katrina, or Staten Island during Sandy, if 72 hours of supplies were adequate.
Every government preparedness agency, on any level, along with most nonprofit preparedness groups, have preached “72 hours” for a long time.
Maybe it’s time to change. Instead of having a stock “72 hour kit,” take a look at the agencies in your area and build a kit that will sustain you until you expect help to arrive. Huh? Look at the agencies and their capabilities. Do you think help will arrive swiftly?
What are the most likely disaster scenarios to occur in your area? Have they happened in the past? If so, how long did it take for roads to open up, stores to have groceries, gas stations to work, etc?
Look at the results of previous incidents, and plan around those. If the average “back to sustainable levels” response time is 2 weeks, you better have supplies on hand to last that long.
In a recent Twitter conversation with a emergency preparedness professional located in Oklahoma, he had this to say: “WHAT is YOUR plan? If your insurance, FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NVOAD group, neighbor, Uncle, Mother, Sister, Brother, does not show for three days, what will you do?”
FEMA is telling us, by way of messages similar to the above pictured Tweet, to be ready to survive on your own for a while. In nice-nice words, they are saying that you’re on your own for at least 72 hours after an incident.
Looking at the size and scope of major disasters recently, maybe 72 hours isn’t long enough. Maybe 2 weeks also isn’t long enough.
Plan to survive, but also remember that if you need to evacuate, how much of your stash can you take with you?
Check out a blog posting by Lloyd, KC5FM, who commented on this subject a couple of weeks ago: KC5FM Blog
Do YOU have a plan? Do you know what to do?
The Region 8 office of FEMA just posted the above pictured tweet.
Is 72 hours long enough anymore? I guess it depends on the size and impact of the incident.
Ask the residents of New Orleans during Katrina, or Staten Island during Sandy, if 72 hours of supplies were adequate.
Every government preparedness agency, on any level, along with most nonprofit preparedness groups, have preached “72 hours” for a long time.
Maybe it’s time to change. Instead of having a stock “72 hour kit,” take a look at the agencies in your area and build a kit that will sustain you until you expect help to arrive. Huh? Look at the agencies and their capabilities. Do you think help will arrive swiftly?
What are the most likely disaster scenarios to occur in your area? Have they happened in the past? If so, how long did it take for roads to open up, stores to have groceries, gas stations to work, etc?
Look at the results of previous incidents, and plan around those. If the average “back to sustainable levels” response time is 2 weeks, you better have supplies on hand to last that long.
In a recent Twitter conversation with a emergency preparedness professional located in Oklahoma, he had this to say: “WHAT is YOUR plan? If your insurance, FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NVOAD group, neighbor, Uncle, Mother, Sister, Brother, does not show for three days, what will you do?”
FEMA is telling us, by way of messages similar to the above pictured Tweet, to be ready to survive on your own for a while. In nice-nice words, they are saying that you’re on your own for at least 72 hours after an incident.
Looking at the size and scope of major disasters recently, maybe 72 hours isn’t long enough. Maybe 2 weeks also isn’t long enough.
Plan to survive, but also remember that if you need to evacuate, how much of your stash can you take with you?
Check out a blog posting by Lloyd, KC5FM, who commented on this subject a couple of weeks ago: KC5FM Blog
Do YOU have a plan? Do you know what to do?
To: Emergency Communications Units, any place, any where
By: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), the volunteer communications reserve of the State of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Originally Published: June 17, 1996
We get inquiries about why volunteers are not called upon after they have some kind of agreement with a local official. Here, in the words of an unnamed emergency management agency official, is one perspective on why they are left out.
“Volunteers serve the will of the local government. Like it or not and more often than not, if a volunteer embarrasses the local government, they will not be asked to serve again. No reason may ever be given. The volunteers are simply left out in the cold. This is often because the volunteers have often put their own desires and practices before those of the local government. Like it or not, this is not the way to success and long term involvement. That’s one reason the Radio Officer must become intimately familiar with the local government policies, practices, procedures and — yes — politics. The politics of a radio club or association must never get in the way or it can be a one-way road to “out!” Remember, we got along without you before and we can get along without you in the future.”
“I know that many of my counterparts simply won’t say these things to you. But if somebody doesn’t, some of you may wonder why we have had bad experiences with some volunteers. The sheriff doesn’t have these problems with reserve deputies. Any questions?”
Our next series will cover the various types of volunteers, not just those in communications. As we’ve spoken about this around the area it is startling to realize how few people discern that there are actually different TYPES and QUALITIES of volunteers.
We have had good success with using the term “unpaid staff” or “unpaid professionals” rather than volunteers, largely due to the negative images that exist in people’s minds. There is really no way we can know what another person categorizes ’volunteers’ so anything we can do to get beyond those mental images is a step in the right direction.
There seems to be a major misunderstanding of how Emergency/Disaster Response works.
During Hurricane Katrina, the media blasted FEMA for not immediately getting involved. During Superstorm/Frankenstorm/Hurricane/Whatever Sandy, FEMA was first on the scene, for better or worse.
So, what’s the problem? The problem is that FEMA is NOT a First Response agency. FEMA is the last level in a Disaster Relief pyramid. Primary responsibility lies with your local Emergency Managers, at the City/township level. When their resources are overwhelmed, the County/Parish is supposed to step in.
Once those assets/resources are committed, the next step is State Emergency Management, and finally FEMA.
Unfortunately, politics being what they are, people have become accustomed to expecting all things from the Federal level of government. During Katrina, FEMA waited until requested by the State, and caught media hell for it.
During Sandy, FEMA leaped right onto the front lines. It’s too early to tell if this was a good idea or not.
Because of reliance on FEMA to solve all problems, local Emergency Management agencies don’t develop disaster plans for their own resources anymore. Why throw all of your assets at a disaster when you can just whistle up FEMA and they’ll throw their resources at the problem for you?
While having virtually unlimited resources to throw at a situation might be a good thing, do you really want the Federal Government micro-managing your disaster response, right down to the street level?
EMC002 - An Incident or Disaster? Posted Spring 1996.
An incident is defined as an occurance or event (either human or natural caused) requiring action by emergency response personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or natural resources.
Incident characteristics include:
A disaster is defined as a sudden calamitous emergency event bringing great damage, loss or destruction. Disasters may occur with little or no advance warning, e.g., an earthquake, or a flash flood, or they may develop from one or more incidents; e.g., a major brush fire.
Distinguishing characteristics include:
In the early 1950s, the California State Office of Emergency Services began issuing bulletins to assist agencies and radio operators to become more familiar with RACES. They were issued periodically until 1985, at which time they began to be issued weekly over voice and digital radio systems of Amateur Radio and in print. Originally intended for California, increased demand, and a 1988 request by the ARRL for national distribution, led to their eventual worldwide distribution. With the development of the Internet, demand for these materials soared, leading to their being put online on several FTP sites and a couple of websites, including mine.
I am re-posting some of these articles/bulletins because the information they contain is still timely and, I believe, necessary if Amateur Radio is going to remain a viable communications source for served agencies and entities. I will post them here, with links on my Twitter and Facebook feeds.
Below is EMC001, originally published in the spring of 1996. More information on the bulletins is available here.
EMC001 - Emergency Means What?
These bulletins are for Emergency Communications units whatever their nature, makeup, affiliation or sponsor. We share a common goal “to assist when there is a need.”
There is a sign around that reads “Your emergency is not necessarily my emergency!”
That applies to us as people AND to governments. The definition of an emergency varies from place to place either by law, custom or some other reason.
While those involved in emergency communications probably know what an emergency is, that’s not the point; rather, let’s be specific so we are talking a standard meaning.
Some areas define emergency as “a situation of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property”.
The term “emergency” is also used to identify a conditional state, such as a proclamation by a government. Typically, there are three such conditions: State of War Emergency, State of Emergency, and Local Emergency. (Various areas may define these differently, as by the type of declaration: i.e., Federal, State, County, Local.)
Webster defines it as “a sudden or unexpected occurrence or combination of occurrences demanding prompt action.” That definition seems to fit well in communications. Perhaps we can adopt that as a standard meaning.
While all this may seem obvious to experienced responders we cannot afford to assume that we currently share a common language across state and national boundaries. Effective communication systems begin with good understanding of words and meanings. If you think you know what “communication” means, take a look at Roget’s International Thesaurus. You may find it enlightening to discover the many uses for the term.
The next bulletin, will review “incident” and “disaster”.
This information is pulled from ACS Bulletin EMC061 “Command Bill of Rights,” originally released 16 Jan, 1997.
While the presentation is old, the information is just as pertinent today as it was back in 1997. As a volunteer, you need to keep the following information in mind.
As a Communications Volunteer, you especially need to keep Item #4 Top-of-Mind during all events. You represent the event you are working, be it ARES, RACES, a March of Dimes walk, etc.
The Number One Rule you need to keep in mind: Don’t embarrass the organization you represent!
By Dave Larton, N6JQJ, State ACS Training Officer and Webmaster; 911 Dispatcher with City of Gilroy
Much has been said in these bulletins, and elsewhere, of the “Volunteer’s Bill of Rights,” or, how volunteers expect to be treated. When volunteering, remember that the people you work for have a similar list of items that they expect from you. The following is condensed from a Basic Hostage Negotiations class taught recently in the Bay Area by Ray Birge, a former SWAT Commander with the Oakland, CA Police Department. They apply very well as basics that every volunteer should keep in mind, especially when working for a higher authority:
Command Bill of Rights:
- Give me options. The more options I have as a commander, the more of an informed decision I will be able to make.
- Don’t destroy my career. Give me options that follow the rules, policies or procedures of my department.
- Promote dynamic tension. Play the devil’s advocate when giving me options. What will happen if I follow this idea? What might occur if I don’t follow the idea?
- Look Intelligent. Bring the proper equipment. Be prepared. Act the role you are supposed to be playing. Remember, people are watching all of us at all times.
- Be prepared to train the boss. Many times, the commander is the least informed of the entire team, yet he has to make some of the most crucial decisions. Give the boss the background as generally as you can. Be neutral.
- Keep me informed at all times. Don’t hold any information back, no matter how trivial; it could prove to be extremely important later on.
- DON’T BREAK THE RULES! Should you elect to take a course of action that may potentially break the rules, let me know about it BEFORE you do it and get my OK! Remember Rules #2 and #3 above.
All volunteers benefit from adhering to these seven rules as your supervisor is counting on you to follow them.
I came across a blog article related to trying to get local government emergency management types to integrate Social Media into their public interaction strategies.
This article, along with others on the same subject, started me thinking about how one would present the pro-Social Media argument to local agencies and groups.
I’m one of those people who mentally pictures completed concepts, and then has to go back and try to figure out which steps to take to make it happen. It’s great fun…not.
The one thing that keeps coming up in my mind, over and over, is the need to pick your props carefully!
If you ask 10 people what Twitter is all about, you’re likely to get 15 different descriptions. Facebook? The same. FourSquare? Well, “that’s only for the egotistical who want people to know what they are doing every single minute of the day”, etc.
There are so many Social Media platforms available anymore, that it’s scary for a techno-neophyte to even contemplate sticking their big toe into the data stream.
You can counter this fear with some well prepared props, to use in your discussions with them. Screen captures of Twitter posts that directly relate to what you want to accomplish, are a good start. Learn how to create lists based on Hash Tags, so that you can show only the tweets that you want. Nobody is going to buy into Social Media when all they see is a random timeline of “I LUV #JustinBieber” tweets, and similar.
Also, do some research on other agencies who utilize Social Media. For every agency who is not on Social Media, there are 3 more, in the same line of work, who are…and doing it well.
So, read up, bone up, prepare well and then head off to that meeting with the local Emergency Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief, etc. The worst that can happen is they “take it under advisement.” ”No, thank you,” isn’t really an option anymore, in this day and age.
We recently took a 7 night cruise on the Carnival Splendor, out of Long Beach, CA.
It was, um, “interesting.” I am still trying to gather the appropriate words to describe the trip. It was a combination of fun, irritation, disgust and “ewww.”
More to come as I recover, and the therapist says it’s ok to talk about it.
The 2002-03 ACS/EMCOMM Bulletins have been put up. I am now working on the 2000-2001 series. And then I’ll backtrack through the 1990s series of bulletins.
Isaiah, my youngest son, informs me that the food and youth programs are much better on the Disney Wonder than the Carnival Splendor.
The Directors in IARU Region 3 have voted to appoint Peter Lake, ZL2AZ, of Wellington, New Zealand, as the Chairman of IARU Region 3. He replaces Michael Owen, VK3KI, who passed away unexpectedly last month. Owen, who was also President of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), had served as Region 3 Chairman since 2006.
“I am extremely grateful to my fellow Directors for their support in this difficult time, and for the procedural work by [IARU Region 3] Secretary Ken Yamamoto, JA1CJP, to formalize an appointment,” Lake said in a statement. “I will do my best to carry through all the work that we have in progress, much of it due to items and ideas put in place by Michael. It is my privilege to have the opportunity to serve you, the Member Societies and fellow amateurs in Region 3.”
Lake — who has been a licensed amateur for more than 50 years — has been involved with IARU activities for more than 25 years and a Director of Region 3 since February 2005. He began his professional career as an engineer, first with the New Zealand Post Office and then with Telecom New Zealand. He followed this with 14 years at a small and specialized telecommunications consulting company in Wellington that included a wide variety of assignments in the Pacific, Asia and Southeast Asia.
“My ‘style’ will probably be different from Michael’s in some ways,” Lake explained, “but our goals are the same — to ensure a growing and successful IARU Region 3.”
SkyWarn is a program of the United States’ National Weather Service (NWS). Its mission is to collect reports of localized severe weather. These reports are used to aid forecasters in issuing and verifying severe weather watches and warnings and to improve the forecasting and warning processes and the tools used to collect meteorological data.
Ham Radio, also known as Amateur Radio, is a popular hobby and a service in which licensed participants operate communications equipment with a deep appreciation of the radio art. Most of the time, it’s the most fun you can have with a radio. It’s a way to talk with people around the world, or even orbiting the world; to send e-mail without any sort of internet connection and to keep in touch with friends across town or across the country. But it is called the “Amateur Radio Service” because it also has a serious face. It’s a very important emergency communications system too.
This section is designed to give you a brief overview of the Incident Command System and NIMS. It is not designed to teach you how ICS works, nor how ICS and NIMS work together. There are much better resources that can take care of that.
SkyWarn is a program of the United States’ National Weather Service (NWS). Its mission is to collect reports of localized severe weather. These reports are used to aid forecasters in issuing and verifying severe weather watches and warnings and to improve the forecasting and warning processes and the tools used to collect meteorological data.
I’m falling asleep at the keyboard. I guess it’s time for bed.
I have been working on getting the anciliary pages up and working. I have forwarded the old site to the new one,too.
Still have quite a bit to do, but it’s getting there.
N7FAN’s Communications Info Center
73’s David
I think I managed to get a lot accomplished today.
All of the existing SkyWarn information was imported, along with most of the other areas.
I still need to do some fine-tuning, and add more info to some areas, but it’s coming along.
At this time, there is no 2011 News Bulletin archive available on either site.
Maybe at some time in the future, I will generate one, but not now.
73, Dave
Since Norwegian Cruise Line is coming back to the West Coast next year, maybe it’s time to start looking at a cruise with them for Fall Break 2013.
A few days ago, on another blog, I posted an update entitled “Did you ever wonder…”
It started out with “As you drive down the roadways of this country, have you ever seen something on the side of the road that gives you pause?”
Anyone who has driven down a highway in American has probably seen a roadside marker, cross or memorial to someone who died at that location.
Some curves, hills and blind turns seem to have a lot of these markers, attesting to the danger associated with that portion of the road.
I cannot believe how fast 2011 zoomed by. And here we are, almost to the end of January 2012 already.
The older I get, the faster time goes by. My wife tells me that she already has 75% of the Christmas shopping done for 2012, too.
I give up.
