TO: ALL WEST VIRGINIA ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM WV SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 10.18 DATE: May 2, 2010
SUBJECT: THINK WARM AND DRY
Being Emergency Communicators doesn't mean that you get to stay in a warm comfortable room talking on a radio. There are times that you may have to use your experience in a location that isn't warm, or dry. When that happens try to find a way to keep warm if the weather is cold and try to keep dry if the weather is rain or snow.
If you know that you'll being working in this kind of environment, try to dress so that you can be comfortable, which means that you will be warm, but will be able to shed any additional clothing if the weather gets warm while you are there.
Trying to keep dry is a little harder. Even if you have some kind of covering to keep you dry, the wind can still blow rain and snow, and get you, your equipment, and your papers wet. If you can build some kind of lean-to with one side fastened to the ground it will help a lot.
Try to figure which way the wind is blowing and keep that side of the lean-to close to the ground. Also have an easy to carry folding chair to sit on, so you can use your lap as a desk or table.
If you have to go very far to your operating location, on foot, try to make your shelter, and operating equipment, as light and portable as possible. The more comfortable you are, the better you'll be able to communicate. Besides, that's what you are there for.
(Reprint, with modifications of, ARES District 3 Bulletin NR 08.15)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator