​More than one professional in the field of Search and Rescue or Emergency Response Management has been known to say that “hams can be too much of a good thing.” What they refer to is the propensity of hams to respond en-mass to a call out without regard to their own skills, physical limitations, body condition, time commitment, and mental state.

​This piece is from 1993, but it’s still true to this day! 

Let’s face it, for the fact that it is: some governments don’t really understand about Emergency Communications Units; they don’t really understand how to work with and utilize volunteers, including hams, some of whom are professional communicators.

For quite a while now I have advocated for Ham Radio operators to cross train and learn how to “do” Social Media.

I became interested in the American Red Cross as a ham radio operator. I saw the potential to use my skill-set to help as a disaster communicator. I joined as a volunteer in 1995.

For a couple of days in June, I am going to be a”participant” in our department’s Active Shooter Scenario training at the local high school.
This has disaster potential written all over it.

The “us and them” mentality of the Public Safety community has been in existence forever, or so it seems.

​The use of abbreviations, 10 Codes and other terms and jargon came into being as a sort of verbal shorthand for personnel to communicate over the radios.  Departments nationwide had 9-Codes, 10-Codes, 11-Codes, Q-Codes, numerical status codes, etc.

​Today, the ARRL put out a news release stating that the American Red Cross was phasing out their Emergency Communications Response Vehicles.

Originally published: July 8, 1996