To:   Emergency Management Agencies via Amateur Radio
Info: Communications Volunteers in Government Service
Info: Amateurs U.S. (@usa:Information), ACS, CAP, MARS, RACES
By:   Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), the volunteer
      communications reserve of the State of California 
      Governor's Office of Emergency Services

Bulletin 396- for Release 9/18/95
OPS - Ways to be involved 2/2 

During the floods of '95 a number of units had their personnel
active in support of paid staff in such positions as liaison,
clerical, office, phone answering, computer support and general
all-around service in the EOC or EMA office.

ATV shows up now and then in the ACS, RACES and ARES activities.
Longtime proponent of ATV, Deputy Fire Chief Ben Lopes was
responsible for a RACES Resource Order by the county to Santa
Clara city for support during High-rise '95, a drill at the Apple
Computer towers in Cupertino.

A Radio Officer in a county with a multicultural population is
adding multi-linguistic speaking personnel to the unit. These
people, both non-licensees and licensees, will aid local fire and
law officials during emergencies as people tend to resort to
their native language under stress.

Communications responders apparently were not involved in the
following but it is worth considering. Do you know what happens
when a city of 12,000 loses its total water supply with NO
immediate relief available? One in California recently had that
experience. It was estimated it needed 2 gallons per person per
day and none was available - NONE! Due to other problems it had
no funds available to buy water, neither did the county and
there was no real program in place to take care of the situation.
What if it was 50,000 to 1,000,000 people? Do your responders
carry a three-day supply whenever they leave home? Does each
house have a three-day MINIMUM supply per person? Learn how to
'treat' water so it is safe. Learn how to carry water and store
water! Unless it is 'canned', stored water must be replaced with
fresh water at appropriate intervals. The intervals vary with the
type of storage. Even so, stored water can become 'flat'. Watch
for a bulletin on how to store water in the near future! 
End of series. 

ACS Addresses:  2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA. 95832.
Ph: 916-262-1600. FAX 916-262-1677. Landline BBS: 916-262-1657. 
W6SIG@WA6NWE.CA or Internet crm@oes.ca.gov or seh@oes.ca.gov.
Bulletin delivery problems? Notify W6WWW@KM6PX.#NOCAL.USA.NA
EOM