RB423 was the LAST sequential bulletin in the 400 series. The next sequential bulletin was EMCOMM Bulletin #EMC021 on 4/1/96

Bulletins after 423 were expanded to a broader usage and are addressed as EMCOMM.

EMCOMM bulletins 001-020 were sent parallel to the RACES Bulletins in 11996 and EMCOMM bulletin 021 was the first on 4/1/96 with the cessation of the RACES bulletins as such.

Reason: over time it became apparent that the term "RACES" does not fully communicate as to the nature of the Emergency Communications units in the 1990's. While RACES is still an important element of Amateur Radio, there are expanded uses of Amateur Radio that transcend some of the 40 to 50 year old concepts of what "RACES" is or was.

It was discovered that using the term "Emergency Communications Unit" or EMCOMM was generic and better understood. California decided to name it's state OES EMCOMM unit as the Auxiliary Communications Service.

Packet stations find the on-going bulletins addressed as EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.###

This and other bulletins are in response to the many queries seeking help. Often the best answer is to ask questions which helps the caller find the answers within their own knowledge. Examples:

Is the "RACES" or "ARES" function supplied by a local club? If so, to what extent is the club involved in the selection and appointment of the person who works with the local government agency?

Stay IN your car or get OUT? During a natural disaster, making the wrong decision can be dangerous. Here are some survival tips for the general public and disaster workers alike from GEICO.

• EARTHQUAKE - stay IN the car. Stop driving as soon as possible, but not under buildings, overpasses and utility wires. The car will shake vigorously, but you're safest inside. Proceed cautiously when the quaking stops, avoiding bridges and other elevated structures that could be damaged.
  
• TORNADO - get OUT of the car! It can be overturned by strong winds. Find shelter in a building or lie flat in a ditch or depression with your arms over your head. Never try to outrun a tornado.
  
• BLIZZARD - stay IN the car. If stranded, use the engine for brief periods of heat. To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, leave a window open slightly and keep the exhaust pipe clear of packer snow. Use simple movements to keep the blood flowing to your extremities, but don't overexert. Leave the dome light on at night to help rescuers find you, and sleep in shifts if there are others with you.
  
• FLOOD/HURRICANE - get OUT of the car. Most deaths in flash floods (one of the biggest dangers in a hurricane) happen in cars. Water can be deeper than it appears and strong currents can sweep your car away. Deep puddles can conceal missing sections of a road or bridge.

RACES BULLETIN DESIGNATOR CHANGES 4/1/96 TO EMCOMM $EMC.### Numbering following Bulletin 423 will begin w/EMCOM.021 (EMC021)

Why are Amateur Radio licensees prevalent in ACS/RACES units?

Response: Due to areas of focus, traits and interest:

In our efforts to provide information to those who are involved with emergency communications, sometimes we lose sight of the fundamental 'push' that causes us to do this work. Here is a perspective we can all use beneficially.

Seven part series on Emergency Management.

Query: What is an "Operational Area"?

Response: An Operational Area (OA) is an organization for emergency management. It is more or less synonymous with a county, yet different. The OA is a functional organization, and NOT a jurisdiction. Its boundaries are normally those of a county (Sec 8559 CA Gov. Code). An OA is not necessarily a county government; it could be several cities, or a city and a county, a county government; or several county governments that undertake to coordinate the flow of mutual aid and information within the defined area. The OA is the backbone of a statewide emergency management system. Operational Areas in California serve 58 counties and geographical sub-units such as the Tahoe Basin.

Query: Give examples of proper emergency net identification.

Reply: FCC Part 97.119(a) requires amateurs to ID with their amateur callsign every ten minutes and at the end of a contact. Although this is very clear, sometimes there is confusion over what is required in a net operation.

A NET does not require every station checked-in to ID every ten minutes for the duration of the event. Think of a net as a SERIES of individual contacts, coordinated by a net control station.

Query: Why do you use relay stations on the State ACS HF net?

Response: To maintain high quality communications.

HF propagation frequently dictates that only with a relay station is it possible to cover specific paths across the 800 miles of the length of the state, not to mention the physical diversity of its mountain ranges, valleys and sprawling cities.

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a process or system to facilitate the response to an emergency DURING AN INCIDENT. It is NOT intended for use as a day-to-day organizational structure since its very format is based on the life of the "incident". Many government agencies already use the ICS. It becomes mandatory in certain conditions in California by 1996, so ACS units must learn the ICS. It is based on eight management concepts:

The first 10-15 seconds of human contact is far more critical than many of us realize. In the first few seconds that someone sees us [either face-to-face or across a room] an involuntary assessment is made. If that assessment is unfavorable, then - unless the person is skilled at looking beyond appearances - it can be difficult or even impossible to overcome that by later action. It is recognition of such an evaluation that some communications reserve units require uniforms.