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

EMC032 - How to be left OUT!

12/25/2012

0 Comments

 
Originally Published: June 17, 1996
We get inquiries about why volunteers are not called upon after they have some kind of agreement with a local official. Here, in the words of an unnamed emergency management agency official, is one perspective on why they are left out.

“Volunteers serve the will of the local government. Like it or not and more often than not, if a volunteer embarrasses the local government, they will not be asked to serve again. No reason may ever be given. The volunteers are simply left out in the cold. This is often because the volunteers have often put their own desires and practices before those of the local government. Like it or not, this is not the way to success and long term involvement. That’s one reason the Radio Officer must become intimately familiar with the local government policies, practices, procedures and — yes — politics. The politics of a radio club or association must never get in the way or it can be a one-way road to “out!” Remember, we got along without you before and we can get along without you in the future.”
​
“I know that many of my counterparts simply won’t say these things to you. But if somebody doesn’t, some of you may wonder why we have had bad experiences with some volunteers. The sheriff doesn’t have these problems with reserve deputies. Any questions?”

Our next series will cover the various types of volunteers, not just those in communications. As we’ve spoken about this around the area it is startling to realize how few people discern that there are actually different TYPES and QUALITIES of volunteers.

We have had good success with using the term “unpaid staff” or “unpaid professionals” rather than volunteers, largely due to the negative images that exist in people’s minds. There is really no way we can know what another person categorizes ’volunteers’ so anything we can do to get beyond those mental images is a step in the right direction.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2016
    May 2015
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Amateur Radio
    ARES
    ARRL
    Disaster Preparedness
    Disaster Response
    EMCOMM
    Emergency Management
    Emergency Management Cycle
    Emergency Preparedness
    Evacuation
    Field Day
    Ham Radio
    IARU
    ICS Primer
    Incident Command System
    Pet Planning
    Public Service
    RACES
    SkyWarn
    SMEM
    Volunteering
    Weather Spotters
    Website
    What Is Amateur Radio?

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.