Handling a Public Service Event — the Basics
We often make assumptions about our abilities, such as: Just because I walk up with a handheld, I’m a trained operator. Or just because I’ve completed the NIMS training, I’m ready to handle a major disaster. It is important to remember the concept of your first driver’s license: It’s proof you know enough not to kill someone while you now begin to acquire the experience that will in time make you a great driver. In this season of the year, many hams devote a lot of time, energy, and service to providing communication for “public service” events — walks, runs, rides, drives, and much more. I fondly refer to these as “Spandex™” events.
You may find yourself being chosen to coordinate a “public service” event for the first time. How do you know you’re doing it right? Why are you doing it at all? The benefits can be obvious but are very important to your ARES or other ham radio group. First, it is a public service … something we can do to serve our community. The benefits are immense as we are seen operating our radios, creating a solid public image. Second, it actually can be great training for emergencies or even just a smoother operating organization. We get more familiar with each other’s voices and conduct on the radio. And we can discern capabilities and traits from our operators that would guide us to deploy them in certain specific functions. And it is, of course, But for you,
