Page 1 MISMisc2 Version 1. 3 3/1/92 MISCELLANEOUS, Part 1 [CATEGORY: MIS) WHY VOLUNTEERS MAY BE REFUSED In briefings for potential volunteers, several local government officials have brought up the following points on why the services of volunteers may be refused. It is only fair that potential volunteers understand the following items, if applicable, in advance: 1. A designated government department, agency, or organization is usually the primary response and responsible agency. Volunteers, therefore, must be either members of that government organization or have an agreement with that agency. 2. Volunteers offering to help during or after the incident are usually too late. Governments who use volunteers prefer to orient and train them in advance. The volunteers then know in advance where to go and what to do. Those are the two most common inputs we receive from government agencies. We are not talking about the one time volunteer, of course, but those who participate in frequent incidents and other activities of their government. We urge any volunteer to associate yourself with that government agency or organization that has an OFFICIAL response responsibility. RB178 WHAT ABOUT CITIZENS BAND? QUESTION: You usually talk about Amateur Radio, the Civil Air Patrol, and public safety radio services in your Bulletins. Isn't Citizens Band radio viable anymore in emergency services agencies? ANSWER: Yes, in some areas. Because it is short range and local in nature, CB radio is best suited to city and county communications. Like any other volunteer service this can vary from area to area. In many areas the REACT or Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team organization is a highly developed, dedicated and professional group that is a pleasure to work with and a credit to the community. CB radio now also includes the GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service. More and more REACT organizations are using GMRS. This enables a professional quality base, mobile and repeater operation in the UHF-FM band. A CB radio should be part of any city and county Emergency Operations Center even if there is no organized or dependable CB radio organization. It can be an immediate source of information or reports in some instances. It is an inexpensive communications resource that should not be overlooked in any local area Emergency Operations Center. RB163 CALL WAITING AS A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL Call Waiting is an inexpensive option that most telephone companies offer that enables you to accept another call when you are already on the phone. You may answer the caller without losing your first call. This enables you to receive alerts, callouts and emergency calls, for example, without those callers getting a busy signal from your phone. It is recommended for every emergency responder, manager or public safety worker. RB001 (1988, new numbering system began) TSUNAMI A tsunami is a seismic seawave usually caused by a submarine earthquake. A tsunami warning is generally automatically issued after a quake off the coast of Alaska of Richter 6.8 and Richter 7.5 if offshore British Columbia and the western U.S. A Warning means immediate evacuation of low lying areas is required. A Watch means a Warning may follow. Authorities will cancel Watches and Warnings whenever sufficient information permits the decision. Emergency workers and the media must know (1) the difference between a Watch and a Warning, and (2) that a tsunami may be several waves over several hours. It is not, repeat not, just one wave. TRAINING DISCUSSION: People who use the term "tidal wave" should be corrected whenever possible. The correct term is tsunami. The tsunami is a shock wave that travels over the open sea at speeds close to 500 miles per hour. One cannot see this shock wave in the open ocean. As it approaches land, several things happen. It slows down. The water frequently recedes from the ocean bottom, leaving fish flopping in vast tide pools. This can often attract people to catch fish with their hands instead of heading immediately for high ground as they should. Then the tsunami bores in at speeds ranging from 30-100 mph and from 20 to over 100 feet high. Your being above the runup is the only escape from a tsunami. There may be several waves over a period of time. Subsequent waves may be larger than the first of preceding waves. There are no rules that govern the speed, height, and how many waves will affect any given coast. When you are told to evacuate--don't be a dead hero. Get out! Civil Defense warning sirens and the Emergency Broadcast System should be activated simultaneously two hours prior to the ETA of the first wave in your locality. CAP aircraft in Hawaii are equipped with electronic sirens and P.A. systems that effectively warn fishermen, campers and swimmers away from the shorelines. RB 87-12 RICHTER SCALE Earthquakes are measured and reported in the Richter Scale. It is a log scale. This means that a Richter 3 is 10 times greater than a Richter 2, and Richter 4 is 100 times as great as Richter 2. Richter 3 can cause slight damage in the local area, 4 moderate damage, 5 considerable damage, 6 severe damage, 7 widespread heavy damage and is called a Major Earthquake, and 8 is a Great Earthquake capable of tremendous damage. Southern California is due for a Great Earthquake. 86 - 27. COMMUNICATIONS AUXILIARY DEFINED Staff personnel in charge of Amateur Radio Auxiliary support groups may have a more useful and flexible group of communicators than they realize. And there may be more "outside" resource groups available to augment your in-house communications during emergencies that strain your system capabilities.In addition to RACES (Radio Amateur Communications Emergency Service) volunteers, you might find that such organizations as the Civil Air Patrol, the various military MARS organizations, and the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) can supply experienced and well trained radio communicators. To search out such resources that may be available in your area is an obvious task for your Radio Officer.All this may seem a difficult and even an unnecessary task for a busy professional to take on, in addition to all the others which make demands on both time and energy. However, it is a truism that no major disaster situation ever happens without overwhelming normally quite adequate communications systems. Professionals in emergency communications organizations may not be aware of the quality people available to them in the Amateur Radio Community. Even though not all Amateurs are interested in being a part of an organized and trained "communications reserve", even a small percentage of the half million licensed Amateur Radio operators in the country can be a formidable group. Likewise, not all Amateurs are physically, psychologically, and technically qualified to fit into an organization that trains for and deals with major disasters. Reserve law enforcement officers and volunteer fire department personnel are usually screened for these roles. Similar selective routines are needed for your "communications reserve" people. Once properly selected and trained, however, your Amateur Radio auxiliary can be equally effective in the communications field as the other - and perhaps better known - police and fire support people.One more thing to consider - a trained and competent Amateur may be just what you need to operate some of your own regular communications gear in an emergency. Given the needed training in advance, they can be as professional as your regular staff. By: Bill Musladin, N6BTJ Assistant State RACES Officer RB181 THE IMPACT OF AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS ON HIGHWAY SAFETY by James J. West, N6AAD Assistant State RACES Radio Officer for Calif. Depart. of Transportation. Each day the over 60,200 licensed Amateur radio operators in California make a significant contribution to the public as they travel the roads and highways of our state. Many people are misled by the designation of "Amateur". It denotes that the FCC license for the Amateur Radio Service is not for commercial use. Although the Amateurs have equipment that could easily compete with the best commercial service, this is not permitted. He is even restricted from using an Amateur radio telephone phone patch to phone ahead for a hotel reservation. At any moment in time, hundreds, if not thousands of these operators are traveling on the roads and highways of California. Many of them have varied skills that make them anything but amateur. Their ranks include doctors, lawyers, firemen, policemen and their fraternity includes skills as varied as a high school student to the position of King to his country. Each day these radio operators use their skills and equipment to summon aid to a location, to aid in fighting fires, calling police to handle accidents, alerting police dispatchers as to the needs of injured traffic accident victims. Because of new technology available within the Amateur Radio Service many city, county and State government agencies have begun to take advantage of the billions of dollars of equipment within the Amateur Radio Service. At long last, these operators are being allowed to support emergency management programs with the encouragement they deserve from government. The low power walkie-talkie is a powerful communications tool when its signal is received and boosted to high power through a mountaintop repeater. While walking down a street with his hand held radio, he is able to talk to radio stations over a hundred miles away with the sound clarity of his home or office telephone. The computer has been married to the Amateur Radio equipment to greatly increase its message handling capability. With a program called "packet" his station is almost fully automated, giving him a wide range of receiving, storing, transmitting and hard copy printing services. With appropriate software programs, he can set up his own electronic mailbox system, call an on-line bulletin board system for information or news items, or send messages several thousand miles to a specific Amateur Radio computer station. Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is one of the latest agencies to begin the procedures necessary to utilize the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), a program that is outlined in the Federal Communications Commission regulations and coordinated by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The FCC regulations do not make a RACES program. It is the contributions of Caltrans employees who will provide the energy required in our department. A successful program will save lives, protect property, and aid in deploying the appropriate people to face the task of making California a safer place to live. RB 087, 088 TRAINING WRITEUPS WANTED Attention: Amateur Radio emergency services instructors, managers and others with emergency experience. Here is an opportunity to share your advice with others. Many hams with little or no experience are asking for guidance. A role of this office is to collect and distribute guidance to hams interested in becoming a professional volunteer resource to emergency response agencies. Anything worth doing right should be put into writing. Now is your chance to speak up and be heard -- or rather -- read. We know there are many fine instructors, managers, members out there. Send in your contributions now. Any topic. As many as you want, no limit. Mail or packet them to me. Authors will be credited. Items we edit will be sent back to the author for final approval prior to release. RACES and ARES units are constantly asking us for training materials and outlines. This can and should be a joint effort for all who have good advice or procedures to share with all Amateur Radio operators seeking to sharpen their skills. Topics should include management, operations, technical or policy. Questions? Call me at 916-427-4281, write, or packet W6HIR @ WA6NWE.Ca.#nocal.ca.. Sgd/ STANLY E. HARTER, KH6GBX, Amateur Radio Service Coordinator, 2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA 95832 RB87-42 RACES BULLETIN NUMBERING SYSTEM The State RACES Bulletin numbers will begin with 001 with the next bulletin in January 1988 and run consecutively thereafter and without starting over every year. This will facilitate future reference and filing. The WESTNET packet numbering will be RACESBUL.001, etc. An index of past bulletins is available to any agency from this office. RB 87-47 THANK YOU, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS I want to thank all of the Amateurs in California for the support you have given this past year. Without the help of RACES, ARES, VIP, ARRL, club members and individual hams to the State and local governments, we would not have had the superior communications we enjoyed during our heavy fire season. The Director and staff of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services is most appreciative of your dedication, skill and professionalism. Again, thanks a lot, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! FOR THE DIRECTOR: Jon Madzelan, Chief, Telecommunications Division. RB 044 EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY In 1980 four earthquakes registering 6.0 and over on the Richter scale occurred in the Eastern Sierra within two days. Each year since then the area has recorded one or more quakes with a 5.0 and up magnitude. Moreover, geologists have noted that since the mid-1970s the Earth's surface has lifted more than a foot in Long Valley, a depression near Bishop that was formed 700,000 years ago in a volcanic eruption that scientists believe was hundreds of times more powerful than the 1980 eruption of Oregon's Mt. St. Helens. The U.S. Geological Survey issued a warning in 1982 that a major volcanic eruption would be possible. They say that the most recent quakes may not be directly related to the previous volcanic activity because they were centered about 20 miles from the Long Valley caldera. But they warned that intensified activity would probably continue and predicted that quakes with a magnitude of 6 or more could be expected. Amateur Radio operators in public service everywhere should self-analyze all the "What if?" questions that come to mind. RB 86-32 DISPATCHERS CONGRATULATED National Dispatcher's Week is April 12-18 throughout the nation. The Governor's Office of Emergency Services salutes all dispatchers, telecommunicators, 9-1-1 operators and others who work around the clock in public safety communications centers. Seldom seen and appreciated by the public, they are the front line link between the public safety agencies and the public they serve. RACES operators should visit a nearby dispatch center and receive a briefing on their duties and skills required to better appreciate the workload and stress. It can be a tough job. Dispatchers--we salute you. RACES members: let them know they are appreciated! Show them this bulletin. Sgd/Stan Harter, KH6GBX, State RACES Coordinator. RB87-09