A MISSION STATEMENT for an emergency management agency communications reserve (such as the Auxiliary Communications Service, RACES or equivalent) has several advantages.
- It provides the initial aspect of key leadership that is so vital to the success of the communications reserve program.
- It protects the agency, and the people whom the agency serves, against loss of a valuable resource.
- It precludes future misunderstandings between an administrator and program participants. A well written mission statement can minimize the chance for a serious disagreement that could have been otherwise avoided.
Although avoiding a statement in writing and playing things by ear can work --- up to a point --- it has its problems. The major problem occurs when the official leaves the position without having documented the mission statement of the volunteer communications reserve. A change in emergency management coordinators may be rather frequent in some jurisdictions. A new staff official can then be at a complete loss to understand the program. When that happens, the new official may find it easier to scrap an otherwise good program and its valuable volunteers for lack of comprehension of its role and mission.
In summary, an astute manager of a communications reserve unpaid staff (volunteer) program will:
In summary, an astute manager of a communications reserve unpaid staff (volunteer) program will:
- immediately protect the future and those who follow with a mission statement
- look far beyond ones own expected term in office; and
- realize that if it's worth doing right, it's worth writing down.
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