Author Topic: State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique  (Read 1573 times)

Searchboss

State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique
« on: January 14, 2019, 10:03:15 AM »
State ARES Annual Convention (ARES100-2)
GPSTC - Auditorium – Forsyth - 1/12/2019

I attended the ARES meeting again this year. I was somewhat disappointed that I did not see any of the SEPN members that I know there this year. That does not mean no one else went, just that I did not see or recognize them.

This year’s convention was almost a duplicate of last years. The “training schedule” was the same and so were the presenters that I saw. Fortunately they did update their presentations so they were somewhat better this year. Even so, it seemed to me that attendance was only about 2/3 of last years. I attended the sessions on Emergency Power and Deployment Essentials.

The Emergency Power presentation was straightforward and covered batteries and generators fairly well, but only touched on solar as a backup. I would call it an acceptable basic introduction to the subject overall. [As an aside, I can tell you that in both of the presentations that I attended the presenters seemed to talk a LOT about the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4, LFE) batteries. While they seem to be great batteries because of their higher capacity and low weight, they are extremely expensive.]

The Deployment Essentials presentation was a barely acceptable introduction to the subject, but the presenter kept wandering off topic and told a LOT of stories about himself and what he has done over the years. While somewhat interesting, for me, it detracted from the stated purpose of the presentation. What I got from this presentation and discussion in the classroom is that by and large, the state and federal governments have taken control of any organized volunteer deployments during major emergencies. If you do not have the training and credentials they require _AND_ belong to a sanctioned organization in advance, (this also means that you must be in the right clique within that organization) there is not much chance of an individual being called to deploy, regardless of his/her affiliation, training, or capabilities. While I understand the need for credentialing to ensure people have the proper training, equipment, and capability etc., it seems that this is again being used by the government & NGO’s as a way to control who participates. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but it adds unnecessary levels of difficulty for those who wish to participate, in my opinion.

I also noted that the presentation did not address the huge differences between deploying by personal vehicle as compared to commercial aircraft.

The presenter spent less than two minutes covering items that should be taken for personal support while deployed. He mostly referenced general checklists and other presentations available online on the subject instead of covering them himself in his presentation. He mentioned, but never discussed, the added complexities of having to be completely self-sufficient on a deployment as compared to the requesting/supporting organization providing some type of transportation, lodging, feeding, and/or work facilities for the deployed volunteers. I have done both and there is a world of difference between the two!

I was pleased to see that about a dozen of my local (to me) ARES members attended along with several others that I have worked/deployed with in the past. I noted that they were more familiar with AmRRON and TAPRN than I expected. In fact, there was some discussion during lunch about plans that are in the works for an AmRRON meeting sometime this year, although no details, dates, or locations were mentioned. I remark on this because I know that there is a different thread on this site about that subject. Hopefully we will hear something about the progress of this soon.

Overall, I enjoyed attending the conference this year, but mostly for the social aspects of it. In my opinion the ARES Convention attendance is suffering from burn-out due to the same repeated presentation offerings.

Lilburner

Re: State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2019, 12:03:10 PM »
Thanks for the report! That was informational and comprehensive.

I blew it off at the last minute. I needed to reprioritize a bit and get a spare vehicle running for my NEGA neighbor to use. His work to what I'm giving him ratio is getting out of hand. But as a happy coincidence, he's working for my barn contractor part time.

As an aside to that, Costco seems like an amazing place to buy a battery. I got an 800 CCA battery with  3 1/2 year free replacement for $86.

Sounds like I didn't miss a whole lot in terms of conference content. I'd have liked to see some people I don't get to see often, but sometimes you just have to get something done.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2019, 04:57:36 PM by Lilburner »
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures.
~ Daniel Webster

Ravenwood1950

Re: State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2019, 03:57:00 PM »
I had a feeling that there would not be a lot of new material to be taught. The classes I took last year on emergency power were of no use to me as the information was too advanced for me to do much with it even though it was basic information. I am not comfortable wiring up things when I might get shocked. Like Lilburner, I miss seeing my friends but the time is just not as beneficial as it could be.
Ravenwood

Gunner

Re: State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 01:53:13 AM »
I do understand that ARES is a necessary evil.... people going out in the worst situations, doing a difficult job, to benefit the greater good.  But when I looked into the local ARES team in my area, they were being scheduled to work in hospitals, the 9-1-1-call center, and the local fire stations.... and none of the places that operators were being sent allowed the operators to be armed.  Leaving my family, during a crisis, and taking valuable gear without any protection seemed like a lose/lose environment.  I am glad that I have my ham license, I would be happy to take any training that came my way... but to leave my wife al9one in a crisis isn't an acceptable option.  I am thankful that there are people that can go and do these tasks, but I'll be monitoring at home and helping my prepping friends locally where I am accepted as I am.... Radios, guns, body armor, and everything else I can bring.
U.S. Army Signal Corps
U.S. Army Ordnance Corps
KK4KUB
Region 7, Georgia

Searchboss

Re: State ARES Annual Convention 2019 - Critique
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 08:11:04 AM »
Much to my displeasure I have learned over the years that nearly every volunteer organization has some form of NO WEAPONS ALLOWED policy. Some spell it out in more detail than others, but the gist of it is that if you want to participate as a member in the organization you cannot bring a gun or a knife with you. Sometimes there is even a long list of prohibited items.

When I looked into the reasoning behind this I discovered that generally this is a liability issue for them. Sometimes it is an insurance requirement to protect the organization should something happen. If anything were to happen they can say “We told you not to!”

For most, it is a requirement passed down from the served organization or governmental agency. For example Homeland Security, FEMA, GEMA, DoD, churches, hospitals, etc. They all have rules in place that state that not only volunteers, but even their own employees are forbidden from possessing “weapons” while on the job. Even having a weapon in your vehicle is against the rules of some agencies.

It is my opinion that these types of restrictive rules are a major reason many worthwhile volunteer organizations in this country are struggling to recruit and retain quality volunteers. I am not trying to debate the merits of such policies. Everyone must make their own decisions regarding personal security. For those who are willing to volunteer, I salute you. Just be sure that you go into the situation with your eyes open wide so you will know what is involved.

 

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