On Mar 18, 8:18�pm, Mike Coslo wrote:
Phil Kane wrote :

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:37:57 CST, "Dee Flint"
wrote:

Another thing to keep in mind that as our infrastructure becomes
stronger, hams will only really be needed in the absolutely worst
disasters.

There will always be a need because no matter how strong the
infrastructure is, situations will arise that exceed that capability.
Design of public safety communication systems is the specialty of my
engineering firm and I'm all too painfully aware of the real-world
limitations

* * * * Infrastructure by it's very nature becomes more fragile the more
there is of it. disasters by their nature tend to occur when multiple
problems happen. Seems like a "duh" statement, but we see it all the
time. We going to put satellites up to do emergency Operations? Right
away I see some issues. Those birds aren't cheap, so we'll probably put a
lot of stuff on them. We'll probably have a lot if interacency
"patching" available, trunking of course. It will probably be an awesome
piece of technology. Maybe it will work. Fortunately no satellite has
ever failed.... ;^)

Mike, PART of the "infrastructure" includes radio amateurs.

Back after the 17 Jan 94 Northridge earthquake here, the
existing infrastructure was behaving just fine and FEMA
brought in a bunch more communications equipment, some
of it used to show continuous video of family/friend messages.
For all of FEMA's highlighted "faults," they were equipped to
handle comms as needed. By now the Los Angeles
Communications Auxiliary (run more or less by the LAFD)
is equipped and able to roll with comm-center bus/RV
modifications. I took my exam at one such Aux station
now still called "Old Fire House 77" despite it being
re-assigned from fire fighting to communications. Some
members of that Aux group are also licensed radio
amateurs and can operate from fixed as well as mobile
station locations.

Things really aren't so scarce/rare insofar as comms
are concerned in this big city complex of 8 million plus.
It may be that much smaller areas have scarce
facilities but that is up to those locations. I'm proud
that this area I live in has beefed up its communications
in the 13 years since the Northridge quake hit. What it
has done can be a model of integration for other areas.

Just a view a bit different than most others in here.

73, Len AF6AY