Bid :$RACESBUL.277


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.277                        DATE: June 7, 1993
SUBJECT:  MGT - Management philosophy - Part 1/2

     Experience dictates that, in a major disaster,
communications will fail due to direct effects of the disaster
itself such as fire, earthquake, flood, etc.  Different
government entities often have radios fixed on different
frequencies but they cannot talk with each other.  At the time of
the Loma Prieta earthquake, near San Francisco, it became
apparent that many dedicated emergency systems had not been
properly maintained and tested, and thus were useless in the
early stages of the response.  Back-up generators would not come
on line when needed, for example.
     While cellular telephones added a new dimension to disaster
communications, they too may be overloaded or fail.
     In light of this experience the flexibility of portable
communications gear, carrying its own power supply, proved to be
invaluable. Amateur Radio, with its highly portable capability,
has the experience, equipment, and flexibility to fill many
roles.
     Fixed, home based Amateur Radio stations, however, have a
very limited usefulness in government-to-government
communications, such as from a forward area fire camp to a rear
area logistics or command center.  Yet they can be invaluable in
handling "health & welfare" traffic, which is likely to be
generated from throughout the country and require numerous
relays.
(Concluded in the next Bulletin)
EOM