Bid : $RACESBUL.275


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.275                        DATE: May 24, 1993
SUBJECT: MGT - Follow the chain of command
     RACES Radio Officers, volunteer or paid, are part of the
management in the agency for which they serve. In that role it's
proper for them to network and coordinate with their counterparts
in neighboring jurisdictions. This helps when one jurisdiction
needs help and resources from another jurisdiction to support an
incident.
     However, here is where Radio Officers must be careful. It is
a natural tendency to contact the other jurisdiction's Radio
Officer and bypass his or her agency coordinator. This could
cause irreparable damage by cutting an official out of the loop.
Some may consider such an act as tantamount to "stealing" the
jurisdiction's resources without their knowledge. Making sure
your Radio Officer understands the proper procedure for inter-
jurisdictional contacts avoids such a faux pas from affecting
your RACES program.
    During a major incident, a county RACES officer tried to
reach an adjoining county Radio Officer without success. When
asked if he had contacted that county's disaster director, he
admitted he had not. The mutual aid might have been forthcoming
if the chain of command had been followed.
    In another incident the Radio Officer bypassed the agency
official, went direct to the other Radio Officer and stirred up a
hornets nest in the process when the authorizing official
discovered his RACES unit was involved without his knowledge.
While situations vary, and events change, it seems wise to be
sure your Radio Officer understands your policies and procedures.

EOM