On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 19:12:28 EDT, Channel Jumper
wrote:

Probably where the people in Lincoln Nebraska dropped the ball is that
when they did their Situational Emergency Test - they did not think to
include the people with the CB radios and the people with the GMRS
radios and REACT.

Had they done this - they easily could have gained another 100 or more
people into their active group.
And, once people saw how efficient amateur radio was, another 25 or so
would probably have been inclined to get an amateur radio license.

One of the good sources for our (combined) ARES/RACES teams is the
CERT groups which for most of its history relied on GMRS and FRS for
their comm needs which are different from the RACES comm needs. Some
of the CERT units have formed their own net on 2-meters reaching areas
that GMRS/FRS did not serve. Some of them actually became
"traditional" hams participating in other local ham activities.

For the record, our county ARES/RACES team has over 100 active
members. And this is only for our county. Our local ham club (about
150 dues-paying members) holds license courses all year long and VE
testing once a month. And this is only for one club. There is some
overlap of members between the two activities.

And we're only in the 19th SMA -- not exactly "the big apple" -- with
the City of Portland (OR) which has its own ARES/RACES and club
structures.

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

Member, Washington County, OR
Emergency Communications Team
for ARES/RACES and HEARTNET

Station Co-manager - W7PSV / K7PSV
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Disaster Communication Team