Okay, lets consider a REAL emergency, such as a tsunami hitting
a coastal community. Some of the first communications out of that
area is an initial damage assessment, medical aid, requests for
earth-moving equipment, transportation of various kinds, perhaps
requests for food supplies (there could be other things). "Health
and welfare" messages of a personal nature are LOW on the priority
list.
Yes, and hams can handle that low priority stuff to offload
the more important communications links. "I took care of
the mundane boring stuff so the heroes could save the lives"...
Can any ham inside or outside an emergency area handle all
the various items contained in that initial messaging with any ease
AND accuracy? Probably not.
Medical workers IN an emergency area will want to talk to medical
workers outside of the area, directly to avoid any mistakes in requests
for supplies or other medical aid. They can talk "medical."
If such came up, the ham would give the doctor the mic and let
him talk directly. To another doctor at another ham shack
using the mic there. THis doesn't happen very often. and
thinking about it much borders on fantasy. But the FCC
says do whatever helps in an emergency.
And so forth, for all other occupations that would be of
aid. Individual hams wouldn't have the knowledge to effect clear,
error-free communications with ease for everything that is needed.
Nothing says that the ham is the only one allowed to use
the microphone or operate the radio. Usually the ham should
be around to help if something breaks, as "control operator"
but he need not be a control freak.
Those that DO have the knowledge must be able to communicate
directly with their counterparts outside of the area. Those could use
their OWN radios and radio networks. Those exist. Amateur radio
isn't the only radio resource and there is no guarantee that it would
survive better than other radio services' equipment. The reverse is
more likely true.
True, but sometimes at random the ham radio survives and the
others don't. Not real often, but why forbid it?
The scenario of the lone ham hero saving the village
is wonderful, emotionally-stirring fiction, but it remains fiction. Real
emergencies aren't fictitious.
It doesn't happen that often, and when it did it's mostly an initial
call for help. In which case the aid agencies come to the rescue
and take over.
They need aid agencies who can work
together, plan together, drill together, and keep on practicing.
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