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 16.30 DATE: July 24, 2016
SUBJECT: WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
When you are communicating with another person, whether by Voice, CW, or Digital, be sure to make a note of who you are talking to. Several years ago during a fire and explosion disaster, a vital piece of information was lost. When the call went out for residents, in the area of the fire, to evacuate their homes, a request to activate the Emergency Broadcast System (now called Emergency Alert System) was to be sent out. The person taking the request, by radio, said it would be done, but somewhere along the line, it did not happen.
Getting the name of the person you are talking to is not intended to get that person in trouble, it is to track the information. It will help find where the ball stopped rolling, and therefore allow corrections for the future. It's been found that asking for the name of the person on the other end of the line helps get the job done. When someone gives you their name, they feel more obligated to fulfill the request. Another thing is to make a note of the time. It's easier to compare logs and other information when you have the time of the communication logged.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV