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Old November 13th 06, 08:04 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave,rec.radio.cb
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
Default American Red Cross Tells ARRL It Wont Stop Credit Checks On Ham and CB Volunteers

NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 10, 2006 -- The American Red Cross (ARC) has
attempted to clarify its policy to require background checks of its
employees and volunteers, at least as far as the policy applies to
possible credit checks. After the ARC announced the policy in July
through regional and local chapters, Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) members who support Red Cross disaster relief and recovery
efforts began expressing concerns to ARRL. In some past incidents --
most notably the 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks and the 2005
Hurricane Katrina response -- ARES volunteers have had to badge in as
Red Cross volunteers. In a statement to the ARRL November 9, Laura
Howe, the ARC's director of response communication and marketing,
stressed that, while background check applicants must give permission
to conduct a credit check, the ARC has no intention of conducting them
across the board.

"The Red Cross realizes some volunteers may have concerns about
authorizing a credit check. Those concerns are understandable," Howe
said. "But please rest assured that credit checks are only run in rare
instances and are not a part of the routine minimum basic check the Red
Cross performs on employees or volunteers."

Howe told the League that the 2005 hurricane season exposed her
organization's weakness in the area of background checks, "as evidenced
by publicized examples of fraud and waste." The "standard minimum
check," she said, verifies the applicant's Social Security number and a
search of the National Criminal File for the past seven years.

"While the Red Cross will never run a credit check on the vast majority
of its employees and volunteers," she asserted, "it is important that
this standard language is included in the consent form to protect our
clients, volunteers and employees." Volunteers with questions about
whether a chapter might need to delve further into an applicant's
background should check with the unit administrator, she said.

The ARC has contracted with MyBackgroundCheck.com LLC (MBC) in
Anderson, California, to handle the on-line background checks.
Prospective volunteers visit a secure Web site, click on the ARC logo
and submit name, address, Social Security number (or other acceptable
government ID), telephone number, and date of birth. MBC notifies the
applicant's local Red Cross chapter whether or not the individual
passed the background check, but it does not share any personal data.

In a statement October 24, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, urged
ARES and other ham radio volunteers to tread cautiously and read very
carefully what they are giving MBC permission to collect on behalf of
the Red Cross, especially given the wide net being cast. Howe
acknowledged that by signing the consent form, applicants do give MBC
permission to "conduct a credit check or other investigation into an
individual's background." ARES members are not obliged to submit to a
background check, however; the choice to do so is a personal one.

Several ARES leaders maintain that they and their volunteers represent
ARES when supporting the ARC as a served agency. "Our issue is not the
background checking, but the fact ARC considers ARES members ARC
volunteers," one ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator told ARRL
Headquarters. An ARES District Emergency Coordinator suggested the ARC
policy is too arbitrary. "The unfortunate thing is that if a member
decides not to submit to this check, then that will hamper our ability
to serve the Red Cross in an emergency," he said.

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N -- whose
department supports and oversees the ARRL Field Organization --
believes the Red Cross stands to lose a fair number of volunteers
because of the requirement -- and not necessarily just ARES volunteers.
One national Red Cross official who asked not to be identified said the
organization fears it's seeing "the beginning of a hemorrhage of hams"
from supporting ARC operations.

The Statement of Understanding (SoU) between the ARC and the ARRL does
not address the issue of background checks. It also is ambiguous on the
subject of whether ARES volunteers automatically become ARC volunteers
when supporting Red Cross operations and subject to a background check.
The bottom line: The requirement extends to whomever the Red Cross says
it does. While some Red Cross chapters will allow ARES member
participation without requiring that they register as Red Cross
volunteers, others will not. One West Coast Red Cross chapter official
said the ARC considers ARES members as "non-registered volunteers" and,
as such, they were not required to submit to background checks. In
other locales, the same volunteers staff ARES and Red Cross
organizations. The ARRL-ARC SoU is up for review in 2007.

The ARC's new policy "is a positive action," Howe told ARRL, and aimed
at raising public confidence and trust in the organization's volunteers
and workers. "The Red Cross certainly values its employees and
volunteers, and our background check process is not intended to be a
burden to those who play a vital role in our relief efforts," she said.
"We believe that in order to maintain the trust of the American people
and provide them with the best quality service, all Red Cross employees
and volunteers must undergo background checks according to standards
being implemented across the entire organization."

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Old November 13th 06, 10:57 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy,alt.revisionism,rec.radio.cb,alt.usenet.kooks,rec.radio.scanner
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Oct 2006
Posts: 83
Default American Red Cross Tells ARRL It Wont Stop Credit Checks On Ham and CB Volunteers


wrote:
On Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:49:03 GMT, Dave Heil
wrote:

policy-ham wrote:
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 10, 2006 -- The American Red Cross (ARC) has
attempted to clarify its policy to require background checks of its
employees and volunteers, at least as far as the policy applies to
possible credit checks.


snip

The ARC's new policy "is a positive action," Howe told ARRL, and aimed
at raising public confidence and trust in the organization's volunteers
and workers. "The Red Cross certainly values its employees and
volunteers, and our background check process is not intended to be a
burden to those who play a vital role in our relief efforts," she said.
"We believe that in order to maintain the trust of the American people
and provide them with the best quality service, all Red Cross employees
and volunteers must undergo background checks according to standards
being implemented across the entire organization."


The American Red Cross has no business whatever doing a credit check on
me or any other radio amateur who volunteers to assist it.


indeed the red Croos may be saying that no longer wish the support of
the ARS it's chapters have done so in many areas already

This is another attempt by an organization to assume power to which it
has no right.


yes indeed the ARC is jioning the ARRL and others gruops that have
been trying to seize power for themselves

If an emergency occurs where the services of volunteer radio amateurs
are needed, the ARC may find itself in a tight spot with regard to
volunteer communicators.


might well most likely WILL find themselves

I hope that the ARRL decides to do a background and credit check on any
organization (and its officers) who desire ARES assistance.

Count me out on any participation in ARES activity which involves the
American Red Cross.

Dave K8MN

http://kb9rqz.blogspot.com/

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


yep........'ole davey boy and my little marqueer would hate to be
"looked into"!

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Old November 15th 06, 07:29 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave,rec.radio.cb
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Sep 2006
Posts: 133
Default American Red Cross Tells ARRL It Wont Stop Credit Checks On Ham and CB Volunteers


policy-ham wrote:
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 10, 2006 -- The American Red Cross (ARC) has
attempted to clarify its policy to require background checks of its
employees and volunteers, at least as far as the policy applies to
possible credit checks. After the ARC announced the policy in July
through regional and local chapters, Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) members who support Red Cross disaster relief and recovery
efforts began expressing concerns to ARRL. In some past incidents --
most notably the 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks and the 2005
Hurricane Katrina response -- ARES volunteers have had to badge in as
Red Cross volunteers. In a statement to the ARRL November 9, Laura
Howe, the ARC's director of response communication and marketing,
stressed that, while background check applicants must give permission
to conduct a credit check, the ARC has no intention of conducting them
across the board.


As a general rule that makes sense to do something like that in
advance. That way anyone who needs an ID has one when the next 9-11
happens. We need to have some sense that the good guys are coming
through the door rather than the baddies.



"The Red Cross realizes some volunteers may have concerns about
authorizing a credit check. Those concerns are understandable," Howe
said. "But please rest assured that credit checks are only run in rare
instances and are not a part of the routine minimum basic check the Red
Cross performs on employees or volunteers."


Should do it across the board because we unfortunately do not know one
another.



Howe told the League that the 2005 hurricane season exposed her
organization's weakness in the area of background checks, "as evidenced
by publicized examples of fraud and waste." The "standard minimum
check," she said, verifies the applicant's Social Security number and a
search of the National Criminal File for the past seven years.


Absolute nonsense. A background check would not solve the problems of
waste, fraud and abuse in the slightest. The biggest single problem
was that the states of Louisana and Mississippi as well as the federal
government did not have the structure set up in advance to manage a
disaster of the proportion of Katrina. Doing background checks of
volunteers would not have had any effect on the waste problem. Having
the process set up to vet contractors who would help in the emergency
services and rebuilding afforts would have helped minimize the wqaste
farud and abuse problems. But in a disaster of this magnitude there
will be people who make it through any vetting process because the push
is on to respond. And since we are talking about volunteer radio
communicators what possible impact would they have on spending
excesses.



"While the Red Cross will never run a credit check on the vast majority
of its employees and volunteers," she asserted, "it is important that
this standard language is included in the consent form to protect our
clients, volunteers and employees." Volunteers with questions about
whether a chapter might need to delve further into an applicant's
background should check with the unit administrator, she said.


That's a gutless response. Do it 100% and get on with the real work.
Or do away with the requirement.


The ARC has contracted with MyBackgroundCheck.com LLC (MBC) in
Anderson, California, to handle the on-line background checks.
Prospective volunteers visit a secure Web site, click on the ARC logo
and submit name, address, Social Security number (or other acceptable
government ID), telephone number, and date of birth. MBC notifies the
applicant's local Red Cross chapter whether or not the individual
passed the background check, but it does not share any personal data.

In a statement October 24, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, urged
ARES and other ham radio volunteers to tread cautiously and read very
carefully what they are giving MBC permission to collect on behalf of
the Red Cross, especially given the wide net being cast. Howe
acknowledged that by signing the consent form, applicants do give MBC
permission to "conduct a credit check or other investigation into an
individual's background." ARES members are not obliged to submit to a
background check, however; the choice to do so is a personal one.


I agree. One should consider this requirement very carefully because I
would be concerned that Red Cross may not have the information security
systems set up to control such confidential data.



Several ARES leaders maintain that they and their volunteers represent
ARES when supporting the ARC as a served agency. "Our issue is not the
background checking, but the fact ARC considers ARES members ARC
volunteers," one ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator told ARRL
Headquarters. An ARES District Emergency Coordinator suggested the ARC
policy is too arbitrary. "The unfortunate thing is that if a member
decides not to submit to this check, then that will hamper our ability
to serve the Red Cross in an emergency," he said.

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N -- whose
department supports and oversees the ARRL Field Organization --
believes the Red Cross stands to lose a fair number of volunteers
because of the requirement -- and not necessarily just ARES volunteers.
One national Red Cross official who asked not to be identified said the
organization fears it's seeing "the beginning of a hemorrhage of hams"
from supporting ARC operations.

The Statement of Understanding (SoU) between the ARC and the ARRL does
not address the issue of background checks. It also is ambiguous on the
subject of whether ARES volunteers automatically become ARC volunteers
when supporting Red Cross operations and subject to a background check.
The bottom line: The requirement extends to whomever the Red Cross says
it does. While some Red Cross chapters will allow ARES member
participation without requiring that they register as Red Cross
volunteers, others will not. One West Coast Red Cross chapter official
said the ARC considers ARES members as "non-registered volunteers" and,
as such, they were not required to submit to background checks. In
other locales, the same volunteers staff ARES and Red Cross
organizations. The ARRL-ARC SoU is up for review in 2007.

The ARC's new policy "is a positive action," Howe told ARRL, and aimed
at raising public confidence and trust in the organization's volunteers
and workers. "The Red Cross certainly values its employees and
volunteers, and our background check process is not intended to be a
burden to those who play a vital role in our relief efforts," she said.
"We believe that in order to maintain the trust of the American people
and provide them with the best quality service, all Red Cross employees
and volunteers must undergo background checks according to standards
being implemented across the entire organization."


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