EXEMPLARY PRACTICES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Auxiliary Communications Mutual Aid
Program Description: Santa Clara County Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (ARES/RACES) initiated what are believed to be the first two auxiliary communications mutual aid agreements in California. They provide for response by auxiliary communications volunteers to Federal agencies that would normally be limited or delayed by typical mutual aid policies.
The Loma Prieta RACES Mutual Aid Agreement provides for the authorized response of amateur radio operators (who are registered as Disaster Service Workers) to the Loma Prieta unincorporated communities in both Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties -- whenever either county activates its RACES volunteers.
The NASA/Ames RACES Automatic Aid Agreement provides for the authorized response of a RACES radio officer to the Ames emergency operations center to determine the need for auxiliary communications support.
Evaluation Information: The mutual aid programs received the Exceptional Service Award from the California Emergency Services Association and the Project Award from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and the Loma Prieta Mutual Aid Agreement by Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties has been renewed.
Annual Budget: None (volunteers).
Sources of Funding: N/A.
Program Type: Auxiliary communications mutual aid programs for Loma Prieta and Santa Clara Counties.
Target Population: Citizens of the Loma Prieta mountain communities; NASA's Ames Research Center; and citizens of Santa Clara County.
Setting: Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.
Project Startup Date: 1993.
Contact:
George J. Washburn
OES Telecommunications Coordinator
Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services
55 West Younger Avenue
4th Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
Tel: 408-299-3751
Fax: 408-294-4851
E-mail: gwashbur@cisco.com
Last Modified: Saturday, 30-May-2009 00:01:44 EDT