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Force of Two: In Depth stories from 2 Puerto Rico volunteers on HamRadioNow

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by K4AAQ, Oct 28, 2017.

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  1. W4AUE

    W4AUE Ham Member QRZ Page

    Officer Candidate School (military), Overseas Deployment experience (5 years), EMT & Firefighter certification and experience, or 2000 hrs pilot in command! It takes honest and real experience to deal effectively with a real crisis like PR. An if you haven't had a team member die in your arms, you should probably stay at home for something like MARIA!
     
    AI7PM likes this.
  2. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    I don't think anyone will get the allusion;-)

    Twenty years of working with those type of folks...you give your respect early. Their BS tolerance is understandably low.

    Apologies for calling NS0S 'Richard'...he prefers 'Jeremy'. The only thing he shares in common with 'arrows', broken or other wise, is that he's a straight shooter.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2017
    NS0S, AI7PM and KG7LEA like this.
  3. W0PV

    W0PV Ham Member QRZ Page

    The final screening and selection was made by the ARC, who no doubt weighted their criteria more then the ARRL's who may have just forwarded the data they collected.

    The fault in the search and qualifying process was it being so ACCELERATED. No face to face interview, simply a telephone interrogation by the ARC running down a check list again. Was the stipulated background check even done, if so, to what quality, ie, credit check, DL/NCIC, FBI fingerprints.

    Most of all there was no requirement for verified personal references of trusted quality to vouch for their interpersonal abilities and team-player characteristics.

    NSØS comes off as a poster-boy candidate, no question why he was selected. His qualities are probably fairly rare, although not perfect. IMO his recount is indicative of relatively low HF prop experience, a gap that may have tilted his opinion of WinLink a bit more negative.

    Why the heck doesn't the ARRL ARES/RACES maintain a national database of WELL VETTED, QUALIFIED, TRAINED and/or EQUIPPED volunteer candidates, like Jeremy or Mike. Prescreened to be drafted for possible deployments like these.

    I have always assumed that was the business they were in. Why was it necessary to put out a bulletin pulling in even non-member new volunteers out of the blue? I hear ARES practice nets on VHF every week. What else are they doing all the time.
     
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  4. KG7LEA

    KG7LEA Ham Member QRZ Page

    Would a reference from an ARES Emergency Coordinator or a Comm-L serve this purpose? Chris Doe from Dover volunteers. The recruiting agency checks with the Dover ARES emergency coordinator for a thumbs up or thumbs down. Like any background check the response is confidential.

    A national database requires constant updating.

    As for fingerprints and credit check, what does that show? My credit is locked down due to the recent data breach.
     
  5. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Hey, why send W0PV when we can send a 19 year old with seasoned, proven leadership qualities?

    ;-)
     
    KG7LEA, AI7PM, W0PV and 1 other person like this.
  6. W4AUE

    W4AUE Ham Member QRZ Page

    Exactly! Leadership incompetence!
     
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  7. W0PV

    W0PV Ham Member QRZ Page

    Just listen more carefully to the OP video between 2:00:00 and 2:20:00. And read what Jeremy wrote in his Guide (link posted previously).

    Hey, you're the "newly minted ARES EC" insider with ARC experience and connections. You should inquire up though those chains-of-command to find out what they say happened. Why was the ARES ham deployment for Maria cut so short, especially on remote places like Culebra. Report what you're told back here; I won't be holding my breath for much. :rolleyes:

    Besides some intra-ham melodramatics at the San Juan ARES HQ, it seems some kind of turf war also developed between FEMA / SHARES vs. ARC/ ARRL.

    73 de John - WØPV
     
    W4AUE and KG7LEA like this.
  8. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    FEMA was, is my understanding, glad the hams came in. FEMA's frustrations lie with severe understaffing given the emergency's magnitude. This led to such disagreements.

    The future---Hams on FIRSTNET?
     
    WU8Y likes this.
  9. KA0HCP

    KA0HCP XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Untrue. The ARRL is NOT experienced in running major disasters, ever!

    In any case, experience in the 1936 New England floods (or any other event more than a couple years past) is lost in the mists of time.

    The ARRL really does not have any significant 'corporate knowledge" in emergency operations, and has no formal plans that are published, practiced or available for instant execution.

    This is not negative criticism. Merely fact.
     
    NS0S, W1SRR, AI7PM and 1 other person like this.
  10. W4AUE

    W4AUE Ham Member QRZ Page

    ARC has a volunteer database with identified Amateur License holders ..... Wonder why they didn't use it?

    What's that smell?
     
  11. KG7LEA

    KG7LEA Ham Member QRZ Page

    What about the Force of Fifty? I read it on the Internet.
     
    W1YW likes this.
  12. KA0HCP

    KA0HCP XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Turn off the emotional rants, please.
     
  13. W0PV

    W0PV Ham Member QRZ Page

    You mean da Faux O'Fiddy? :rolleyes:
     
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  14. W0PV

    W0PV Ham Member QRZ Page

    I exaggerated for effect a bit on background check examples, but even a lowly once-every-ten-years official US Census taker gets finger-printed and run through the FBI.

    The ARRL has a national database of members it maintains. That ought to include records on their status as certifiably trained and available for ARES duty. Of course the training has to be relevant and graded too.

    Yes, a confirmation from an EC is exactly the kind of reference, but the EC still has to do the job correctly, ie, know the individual and properly assess their skills, personality, suitability for the situation.
     
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  15. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Some folks have not seen this important web page. I think the ARRL had its head in the right place and we should keep the dissing down to a dull hiss...just make sure, our colleagues in Newington, that we all learn the lessons that come out of Maria (and admit our errors), and again thank you to those who volunteered, and those who were and are generous in their support.

    http://www.arrl.org/puerto-rico-caribbean-recovery-2017


    The urgency remains and still more ham efforts will become clear shortly, by other ham groups as well.....

    73
    Chip W1YW
     
    WU8Y likes this.

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