Working as I do as a Vol FF/EMT and my position with ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services), I am exposed to all types of situations where both non-emergency and emergency events take place.

During several hurricanes I have dealt with, the general population is seemingly ill prepared for something that notice is given days in advance, let alone ice/snow/weather events that happen on short notice.  The biggest issue I have noticed is people generally dont know where to go for help, or how to get it or even what to do.  The CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program does wonders for educating people who have a desire to take the training, but, how does one even come to know about it?

In ARES/RACES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services/Radio Amateur Civilian Emergency Services) we hold training nets weekly. We provide communications to and for our served agencies on an as needed basis.  If we are needed, we know what our equipment takes to be used, and generally we can pack up and be on location in a matter of minutes, set up and running providing radio communications, sending and receiving emails over the air, and even some can provide automated location reports of where our members are.  Many of us have taken the Incident Command System/National Incident Management System (ICS/NIMS) training courses and in some area's its required. Funding is mostly provided by either the members or their local radio club groups or through donations.

CERT is designed to train the lay individual to take care of themselves first, then their home, then their neighborhood, then to assist the community as a whole.  Training is done initially, then with some groups, that's all there is ever done. Funding is provided by FEMA and Homeland Security.

Involving these two groups would go a long way to helping serve the communities.  Getting more of the public involved with either or both would go a really long way.  The issue is getting the word out to the general public about what is available.  Some people actually watch through a 60 second commericial, while some find it the time to go get a snack, pay a visit to mother nature, and some just mute the TV.

EDUCATION is how you inform people about things. Having perhaps a 30 minute infomercial or weekly program, either on the major networks or through the Public Broadcast System (PBS) stations would be the venue to get the word out.  PBS stations would be able to encompass either personalized state wide groups or local community groups.  Winter time more folks seem to stay indoors and watch TV than any other time.

CERT members wouldn't necessarily have to become amateur radio operators to be involved, they are issued (at least we were) the small public 'family' radio service radios, and for a small geographic area these work just fine. 

It ALL comes down to communication and communicating.  People need to know where to find food when the grocery stores are shut down, where to get water, fuel, propane. They want to know WHEN the services are going to be restored.  How to contact Emergency Services when their cellphones are dead and public telephone service is out. 

When I was at Microsoft Corp in Charlotte NC, they had a saying.  It was "The trick is not KNOWING the answer, but WHERE to find it". And that all bears on communication.  If we can educate people on where to find out the information they want or need, direct them to the proper resources, and teach them how to be self sufficient for 72 hours, then the battle is more than half over as it begins.

Thank you,

Gary Lang K4GHL

NC EM AREA 11 ARES District Emergency Coordinator