[EAS] Engineer Emergency Credentials

[Bill Ruck]

I concur with Richard's list of requirements.  The bigger question is 
how this could be done consistently across the nation.  If one state 
does it and the next doesn't it could be a problem if a station is 
spread across a state line.  The concept of First Responders has 
grown past just sworn police and fire.  Public information from 
broadcasters should be included in the plan.

Last summer there was a fire on Loma Prieta Mountain.  One FM station 
went hard off the air.  The rest were on generator.  It took a couple 
of phone calls to get through CAL FIRE to get access after the fire 
burned away.  Turns out they were lucky; the generator regulator 
failed and all it took to get them back on the air was a new 
regulator.  Pictures from that night were literally "wall of 
flames".  It CAN happen to you!  As I said to an old Susquehanna 
Radio friend "You have floods; we have fires.  Watch out for the locusts."

Comments in line.

Bill Ruck
San Francisco

At 08:47 PM 2/15/2017, you wrote:
>The answer to concerns about credentialing can be addressed by:
>
>1) Establishing strict training standards for those who apply for 
>credentials to cross police and fire lines.

There are good FEMA courses for Incident Management and related 
subjects.  There is no reason why the basic courses should not be 
required.  I've been thinking about it for a long time but haven't 
started them.  Yet.

>2) Making an appropriate compliment of protective and survival 
>equipment, water, and food part of the terms of credentialing.

Agreed.  Even in the summer when I was building radio sites in the 
Sierra Mountains the Forest Service required that I carry items with 
me: water, shovel, Pulaski, etc.  I always carry water and munchies 
and extra clothing.  I now also carry some fire resistant clothing.

>3) An appropriate vehicle - 4WD for mountains. Sometime 4WD and 
>chains for muddy roads.

Agreed.  My van is front wheel drive with aggressive mud and snow 
rated tires.  While I generally don't want to go "four wheeling" I 
have driven past 4WD vehicles that tried to go up a snowed in road 
but with street tires.

>4) A two-way radio and/or a sat. phone for some locations.

Communications is vital.  At least being able to monitor Public 
Safety channels is helpful.

>I have seen some engineers go to remote sites during questionable 
>weather without water, food, and in one case not having a full gas tank.

The question is: Did the engineer come back?