Fire department needs ham (radios)

[KC2UGV]

http://www.wickedlocal.com/halifax/news/x897602722/Fire-department-needs-ham-radios


“Halifax does not have sufficient ham radio equipment,” Carrico said. “If our communication system goes down and we’re on generator power, we don’t have ability to talk to other ham operators.”

...

Carrico said he plans to spend about $500 of the $1,500 emergency operations budget to purchase ham radio equipment. Along with the radio itself, the system will need an antenna, which Carrico said requires experts to install. As deputy chief of Duxbury’s fire department, Carrico said he worked with a New Hampshire company to install equipment for that town. Antenna installation will cost another $200 or $300, he said.



How about buying a backup set of Public Safety Band radios? The hams can come in and install the gear (Antenna included) pro-bono...





Currently, when Halifax’s emergency operations center is called into action, volunteer ham radio operators have to bring their own equipment with them to the police station. Carrico wants a permanent ham radio station in the EOC.


Um, they bring their own gear? This is a problem? That's the way it's supposed to be!

[KE7DKN]

How about buying a backup set of Public Safety Band radios? The hams can come in and install the gear (Antenna included) pro-bono...

How would the funding (current and future) be justified if it wasn't spent on things? Getting free labor now means smaller budgets later.

[KC2UGV]

How would the funding (current and future) be justified if it wasn't spent on things? Getting free labor now means smaller budgets later.

Free labor = More/Better equipment/Antennas

[KE7DKN]

Free labor = More/Better equipment/Antennas

What's easier to justify in a budget? Premium equipment setup or labor costs?

If the options are:
1. Basic setup + Labor
2. Premium setup + Free labor
3. Basic setup + Free labor + Budget surplus

I don't think the second one will be approved very often.

[N8YX]

All brought to you courtesy of the DHS-EmComm funding train wreck.

[KC2UGV]

What's easier to justify in a budget? Premium equipment setup or labor costs?

If the options are:
1. Basic setup + Labor
2. Premium setup + Free labor
3. Basic setup + Free labor + Budget surplus

I don't think the second one will be approved very often.

For a small-town Fire Co? Premium setup + Free labor.

[KE7DKN]

For a small-town Fire Co? Premium setup + Free labor.

Not likely, unless you're in Fantastyville. A premium setup and free labor will simply raise questions and lower next year's budget - especially in a small community. People (government and taxpayers) are always looking at public budgets with hungry eyes.

[KC2UGV]

Not likely, unless you're in Fantastyville. A premium setup and free labor will simply raise questions and lower next year's budget - especially in a small community. People (government and taxpayers) are always looking at public budgets with hungry eyes.

And, what's wrong with trimming budgets where it needs to be? And, why are hams not fighting this encroachment into our spectrum?

[KE7DKN]

And, what's wrong with trimming budgets where it needs to be? And, why are hams not fighting this encroachment into our spectrum?

Nothing. But that's not generally how people (especially in government) work. The drive is for more funding for bigger budgets the following years and the best way to justify current funding is to spend it all, preferably with recurring obligations (like labor for maintenance).

Everyone's for trimming the budget... just not their own.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

Read it carefully.
If our equipment goes down we will not be able to talk to the hams.
They have a 100% backup plan, and a backup plan for that, for the public safety equipment.
In Texas it was decided NOT to allow the public safety radios to operate in the ham bands.
I have several Motorola sabre talkies that have public safety as well as ham, in no way a violation of any FCC rules, but a violation of policy.
But, get this, GMRS is just fine.

[W6EM]

Simple solution for cash-strapped public safety departments wanting amateur radio gear as a back up. Obtain "cast-off" older public safety high band VHF mobiles that are not narrow band compatible and program each with, say, a dozen useful 2M channels. Add power supplies and, voila, problem solved.