‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ CONDUCT AN INITIAL ARES MEETING AFTER YOUVE SIGNED UP AN INITIAL BODY OF VOLUNTEER REGISTRANTS, BREAK THE ICE BY HOSTING A MEETING, PREFERABLY AT THE LOCAL EOC OR RED CROSS CHAPTER OFFICE, TO IMPRESS UPON THEM THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS COMMITMENT. SPEAK ABOUT YOUR NEW GROUP, PROGRAM, AND PLANS FOR TRAINING AND EXERCISES. HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FACILITY SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP. ANSWER QUESTIONS, GIVE OUT ANY TRAINING MATERIALS, AND INFORM YOUR NEW MEMBERS O A MORE SOPHISTICATED VIEW OF THE MATTER IS THAT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE, THE NEED FOR COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS GROWS EXPONENTIALLY, BOTH WITHIN AND AMONG ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING TO THE DISASTER. WHAT AMATEUR RADIO CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE IS A SURGE CAPABILITY TO HELP DISASTER RESPONSE PROFESSIONALS MEET THE EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DEMANDS. WE SHOULD SEE OUR ARES GROUP AS A COMPETENT FORCE MULTIPLIER RATHER THAN A LAST DITCH FALLBACK, TAYLOR ARGUES. HOW TO CHOOSE AN EMERGENCY COORDINATOR WITH THIS BASIC UNDERSTANDING, SELECTING AN EMERGENCY COORDINATOR EC TO LEAD YOUR NEW GROUP IS NEXT ON YOUR AGENDA, AND IS ARGUABLY THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR QUEST. YOUR CHOICE OF EC CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR EFFORT. WHEN CONSIDERING THE CANDIDATES FOR EC, ITS IMPORTANT TO DISPASSIONATELY ASSESS THE ASSETS AND, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE LIABILITIES OF THE CANDIDATES. AN ASSET, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE CANDIDATES GENUINE INTEREST IN LEADING ARES MEMBERS IN SERVICE ALTRUISTICALLY. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, A LIABILITY IS ONE WHO ONLY HAS AN INTEREST IN SERVING HIS EGO. DISCERNING PUBLIC SERVICE RICK PALM, K1CE, K1CE ARRL. ORG STARTING OR RESTARTING AN ARES GROUP THE INTANGIBLES ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE TANGIBLES WHEN BUILDING AN ARES GROUP FROM SCRATCH OR ACTIVATING A DORMANT ONE. HERE ARE SOME TIPS. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO YOUR TOWN OR COUNTY SUFFERED A TORNADO EMERGENCY, TRAGICALLY RESULTING IN CASUALTIES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES RESOURCES WERE STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT AND AFTER ACTION BRIEFINGS RESULTED IN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF RESPONSE TIMES AND EFFICACY. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS UNDERMINING RESPONSE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS WAS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS WERE OVERLOADED, SOME TOWERS WERE DESTROYED, AND RESPONDERS FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES FIRE, POLICE, EMS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RED CROSS, ETC AT TIMES HAD DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING AND COORDINATING AMONG THEMSELVES. YOU RECOGNIZE THAT AMATEUR RADIO COULD HAVE HELPED FILL COMMUNICATIONS GAPS, WHILE ALSO ENGAGING CITIZEN RADIO AMATEURS IN SUPPORTING THE RESPONDING AGENCIES, AND YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR TOWN OR COUNTY NEEDS AN ARES GROUP WITH MEMBERS THAT ARE RECRUITED, REGISTERED, TRAINED, MANAGED, AND COORDINATED WITH YOUR PARTNER/SERVED AGENCIES. LETS DO THIS. THE RIGHT MINDSET FIRST, CONSIDER WHAT YOUR POTENTIAL GROUP IS ACTUALLY GOING TO DO FOR YOUR AGENCIES. IN THIS COLUMN FOR THE JANUARY 2012 ISSUE OF QST, AL TAYLOR, KN3U, WROTE THAT ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ