BID : $RACESBUL.271


TO:    ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES VIA AMATEUR RADIO
INFO:  ALL RACES OPERATORS IN CA (ALLCA: OFFICIAL)
       ALL AMATEURS U.S.         (@ USA: INFORMATION)
FROM:  CA STATE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (W6HIR @ WA6NWE.CA)
       2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA  95832  (916)262-1600
       Landline BBS open to all: (916) 262-1657
RACESBUL.271                            DATE: April 26, 1993
SUBJECT:  MGT - Tell it like it is!
         Experienced volunteers of all kinds in government serv-
ice are accustomed to callouts where they are recalled while
enroute, or told to return upon their arrival on scene. Inexperi-
enced volunteers become upset when this happens. As managers we
should stress to potential volunteers that this may happen more
often than not. The point being that your volunteers must be
conditioned to accept this fact. Yes, that's blunt talk but a
necessary truth. Never be bashful when describing your expecta-
tions of your volunteers.  It helps reduce future disappointments
among anyone serving on your regular volunteer staff.
          When you are candid up front, more people will choose
not to join than those who do. But the bonus is that it leaves
you with staff that will be with you for the long haul. I tell
each potential applicant that I expect them to be working with
this agency 5, 10, 15 years down the road. That serves to really
get the individual's attention that we are really not interested
in wasting our time and effort to accomodate "joiners" and "prima
donnas". I have done this for thirty years with communications,
search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighter, and other public
safety volunteers with superb results.
                     ---Stan Harter, KH6GBX
EOM