(The following is from the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club.)
There were several comments about ARES [at our board meeting], one of which was that the structure is too rigid or militaristic. I feel that some of you need to look just a little further into the subject. The management format that is now being used by us is also being used by every sheriff's department, every fire department, the State Office of Emergency Services, the city and county of Santa Barbara, the Red Cross, and most everybody else that has anything to do with disaster services in the State of California. It is called the Incident Command System (ICS). It was developed by several fire departments in California just for the purpose of dealing with disasters large and small. The plan works and has been proven by a lot of people besides ourselves. Give the system a chance and you will find that it will work for us, too.
There were several comments about ARES [at our board meeting], one of which was that the structure is too rigid or militaristic. I feel that some of you need to look just a little further into the subject. The management format that is now being used by us is also being used by every sheriff's department, every fire department, the State Office of Emergency Services, the city and county of Santa Barbara, the Red Cross, and most everybody else that has anything to do with disaster services in the State of California. It is called the Incident Command System (ICS). It was developed by several fire departments in California just for the purpose of dealing with disasters large and small. The plan works and has been proven by a lot of people besides ourselves. Give the system a chance and you will find that it will work for us, too.
Speaking of ARES, those of you who went to the Search and Rescue symposium at Vandenberg Air Force Base got your money's worth. There were two very important points that came across. First, that the money resources of a lot of the government agencies we have all learned to depend on are rapidly shrinking. Thus, they cannot always give the level of service that has been available in the past. Recognizing this fact of life, these same agencies are very glad to see all the volunteers like us out there ready and willing to take up the slack when called upon to do so. Two, there was a definite feeling of comradeship in the group that was there. Although very diversified, the bottom line was that all could and would work together for the best outcome no matter what the problem or disaster demanded.
---Jack Goldsworthy, KA6EPF, President, Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club
---Jack Goldsworthy, KA6EPF, President, Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club
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