TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM ARRL DISTRICT 3 EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 16.24 DATE: June 12, 2016
SUBJECT: GEARED UP !
Do you have a "JUMP BAG" with items and essentials needed for long stays away from home? A few of you can remember from years past when you had to spend a few days away from home, in Emergency Operation Centers, or Red Cross offices providing volunteer communications help. As disaster service volunteers and communicators we might be called upon for assistance at any given time, and possibly for long periods of time.
For those of you who have not made up a "JUMP BAG", you might want to think how you can prepare yourself in the event you're working an emergency, and it takes you close to the time you must leave for work. Have you thought what could speed your ability to go directly to your place of employment upon being cleared from your emergency communications post? Even if you don't have report to work, it would be nice to have a way to clean up after a hard day or night at your post, or get into dry clothes if you got wet.
Suggestions: In the same location you keep your equipment for a winter or foul weather response, you might keep an over-night bag (duffle-bag) ready. In it you should keep some items you would normally need in the morning before work, such as tooth brush, deodorant, hair brush or comb, shirt, pants, socks, underwear, and any other items that you may require. This could be a handy addition to your emergency response gear because we never know how long a particular emergency will last. A callout at 2030 hours could last till morning depending on the type of emergency. Even if the emergency only lasted 2 hours, the duffle bag is easy to carry, and if not used, could be returned to your communications equipment location.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
District 3 ARES District Emergency Coordinator
WCEC
Wood County WV