[IP] more on New Nationwide Public Emergency Communications Network Launched

[David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: David Josephson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 7, 2006 8:06:01 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, edyson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] New Nationwide Public Emergency Communications  
Network Launched

Dave, Esther et al

There seem to be dozens of self-proclaimed emergency communications  
"networks" springing up now. Most people would like to help their  
communities be prepared for disasters, and if they're radio people,  
radio is a logical tool to use. Unfortunately most of the new ones  
are small groups, often the work of one man. The traditional groups  
have been radio amateur based (RACES, ARES, Red Cross, Salvation  
Army) and CB based (REACT) and work more or less well depending  
mostly on one thing: how well they are integrated with the official  
emergency response agency in their area. A "network" of everyman with  
an FRS radio on channel 1 would be a great idea, but who has a  
mandate to maintain order and relay messages where they need to go?   
If they have established cooperation with local government and worked  
hard enough to ensure mutual trust, good things can and do happen.  
Having worked with some of these groups in California for more than  
30 years, my experience has been that more often than not these  
groups big and small get into turf struggles with each other (I call  
it "treehouse politics") and the "served agencies" who have no time  
for them. They tend to see the technical problems they can solve  
before they think about the political issues they need to address first.

Some groups that have a good start are the Amateur Radio Relay League  
"Amateur Radio Emergency Service" http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ 
emergency/ and the FEMA-supported Community Emergency Response Team  
http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/cert.shtm ... there is also a  
good list of active organizations at http://www.nvoad.org/  It's  
informative to ask new groups what they can offer as standalone  
organizations, and whether the local emergency services professionals  
have any place for them (in other words, will they be able to get  
through the barricades when a disaster happens?)

--
David Josephson


> I remember cb radio and channel 9 which ended up with idiots  
> playing  music to jam it djf
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Esther Dyson <edyson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: May 6, 2006 9:01:01 AM EDT
> To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Fwd: New Nationwide Public Emergency Communications  
> Network  Launched
>
> passing this along. I do not know this organization.
>
> Esther
>
>
> > From: "Martin Brooks" <mbrooks@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: New  Nationwide Public Emergency Communications Network   
> > Launched
> > Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 19:58:22 -0700
> >
> > Dear Esther              ,
> >
> > Please see announcement below.
> >
> > If you have questions, please contact -- Eric Knight,   
> > NationalSOS.com, 860-673-2502,
> > inquiry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > ===================================================================== 
> > = ==================
> >
> >
> > Emergency Volunteer Organizations Participate in New  Public   
> > Emergency Communications
> > Network
> >
> > -- "National SOS" based on the millions of FRS (Family Radio   
> > Service) and GMRS
> > (General Mobile Radio Service) radios already in use for camping,   
> > boating, hiking,
> > etc. -- and the nationwide network of 700,000 ham radio operators   
> > and 70,000



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