The Comm Room
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Personal Website
  • Amateur Radio
    • SkyWarn >
      • What is SkyWarn?
      • Getting Started
      • What Do I Report?
      • Severe WX Reporting
      • Spotter Safety
      • Overpass Safety?
      • SkyWarn in Arizona
    • Public Service & Events >
      • 10 Ways to Optimize Your Effectiveness
      • Are You Making a Difference?
    • ARES Information >
      • ARES Net
      • Prowords
    • Emergency Communications >
      • Emergency & Disaster Radio Operating Procedures
      • ECom Do's & Don'ts
      • Emergency Management Cycle
    • Training
    • EMCOMM Bulletins >
      • RACES >
        • 1995-96
        • 1996
    • Virtual QSL Wall
  • Incident Command
    • DHS Position Paper on NIMS & the ICS
  • Emergency Preparedness
    • Emergency First Aid >
      • First Aid for Pets
    • Planning For Pets
  • Social Media
    • Social Media vs Ham Radio
  • Links & Awards
    • SkyWarn Links
    • Public Service Links
    • ECom Links
    • ICS/NIMS Links
    • Emergency Prep. Links
    • Training Links
  • Radio Logs
    • Contest Log
  • Photos

2000-01 EmComm Bulletins

TO: Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
TO: Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
FROM: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

Back

EMC285 - Unit Organization

4/16/2001

0 Comments

 
In keeping with last week's bulletin on sharing ideas, let's look at how units are staffed and how that staff may be organized for ACS and RACES units which serve a government agency directly.

First, the ACS or RACES Officer (i.e., the chief administrative officer) is chosen and appointed by the paid-staff official that is the government link to the unit. That official may ask for names of possible selections but his/her decision is final. It is best if the person chosen has had effective management experience.

As to other staff, the choice is normally left to the chief officer thus appointed. In many situations he/she may be the only one who makes the decision, while in other units the key staff is chosen by consultation between the unit coordinator and the ACS or RACES Officer.

Stan Harter, the first paid-staff coordinator for the RACES and ACS programs in California, maintained that staff is NEVER to be selected by vote of unit participants. This was based on his work with RACES for over 35 years as coordinator for two states. From my 40 years as a senior executive and CEO (and as an officer in several volunteer organizations over that same time period) I agree, for good management is rarely obtained by participant vote.

The METHOD of unit organization may be along normal management models, or it can be unique. In California, where the ICS system is mandated for RESPONSE units, unit STRUCTURE may be according to the ICS (Incident Command System) model. Alternately, it may be a normal management structure that can shift to the ICS model or RESPONSE activities.

Now for examples. The ACS unit serving the California Highway Patrol in the Inland Empire area of Southern California is organized along the ICS model:
                     Chief Radio Officer                              |     Safety Officer ----------|------- Public Information Officer     Liaison Officer ---------|------------------Training Officer                              |                              |  ---------------------------------------------------------------       |          |           |           |              |  Operations   Planning   Logistics    Finance     Administration 
They have an ARO (assistant radio officer) for each position in the above chart. In some of the areas there are "group leaders" with specific assignments:
  • ARO Operations: A Group Leader for each of the four (4) different geographic areas
  • ARO Planning: Alternate Radio Group Leader and a SOP/Policy Group Leader
  • ARO Logistics: Equipment Group Leader; Repeater Coordination Group Leader
  • ARO Administration: Records and Reports Group Leader; Personnel Group Leader (process applications, maintain personnel files/records, current roster)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    A Decade Of Emcomm
    Ale Experiences
    Amateur Radio Withdrawn!
    A Passion For Emcomm
    Are We Prepared?
    Assumptions Kill!
    Because They Care!
    Bulletin Focus
    Comfort Is An Emcomm Unit
    Confined Space Response
    Do You Know What I Mean?
    DSW Coverage Begins?
    Dsw Rules Changes
    Emergency Preparedness
    Exercise En Masse!
    Gila County EMARC (AZ)
    Hidden Jewels
    How Do You Activate?
    How Many To Involve?
    How To Create An Emcomm Unit
    Images
    Important Documents
    Indecision Can Kill
    Informing Officials
    Internet Rims
    Is RACES Unique?
    It Takes Time
    Management Or Operations
    Mutual Aid 2000
    Mutual Aid Recap
    Net Control - A Perspective
    Nsep And Shares
    Operations Techniques
    Pabulum Or Popcorn?
    Preparedness Partners
    Quakes In Mind
    Quick Quotes 1
    RACES - Amateurs Only?
    Races And The Acs
    RACES & FEMA
    Races History
    RACES History - 4
    RACES History - DCS Unit
    RACES History & FLAMES
    Races One Hour Rule
    Resource Directories!!
    Sharing Ideas
    Shortage Of Hams
    Solving The Impossible
    Statewide Comm Drill
    Successful Emcomm Units
    Synchronicity & You?
    Training Test Matrix
    Unit Activation
    Unit Life And Death
    Unit Organization
    Unsuccessful Units
    Use Volunteers? Y/N
    Volunteer Awards
    Volunteer Management
    We Don't Need It!
    Who Writes The Bulletins?
    Why We Volunteer
    Wildfire Volunteers
    Working With Volunteers
    Y2k & Good Timing

    Archives

    December 2001
    November 2001
    October 2001
    September 2001
    August 2001
    July 2001
    June 2001
    May 2001
    April 2001
    March 2001
    February 2001
    January 2001
    December 2000
    November 2000
    October 2000
    September 2000
    August 2000
    July 2000
    June 2000
    May 2000
    April 2000
    March 2000
    February 2000
    January 2000

    ACS Bulletins

    The Bulletins are addressed to the Emergency Management Agency (with sub-addresses to others) with the intent that the Radio Officer, ACS Coordinator or other unit participant will deliver them to the agency coordinator, and discuss their topics.

    RSS Feed

Search This Site:



© Copyright 2009-2022, David M. French.

All original content by David M French is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Other names, titles, and images are registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations. All rights reserved.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.