RB Community Watch by Jacquie Nelson

Amateur radio volunteers led successful exercise
On November 4, an Exercise was conducted to polish and update the skills of the RBERS operators. Neighborhood Watch and Emergency Preparedness operators, using Citizen Band equipment, provided the contacts with the neighborhoods, simulating emergency messages describing local problems in the neighborhoods. The effectiveness of the communications system depended on the close coordination between the Neighborhood operators and those at the Community Centers and EOC.

The Rancho Bernardo Emergency Radio Service( RBERS) was organized in 1986 to provide reliable communications during a disaster such as an earthquake, damaging storm, or other similar events. Experience had shown that the more conventional means of communication such as the telephone could not be relied upon. The introduction of the cellular phone, thought to be an answer to the communication problem, also proved to be unreliable because of circuit overloading.

Historically, amateur radio has been the sole media to provide reliable communications. Experience during the great Alaskan earthquake, the Los Angeles North Ridge quake, the Texas City ship explosion reaffirmed the value and necessity for amateur radio communications. In most instances, amateur radio has been the ONLY form of communication.

The local RBERS group, consisting of twenty five federally licensed operators, actively engages in simulated disaster exercises. These exercises are conducted four times a year and include a county- wide exercise in November of each even year. The county wide exercise includes all facets of emergency preparedness: first aid, light search and rescue, and damage assessment.

Rancho Bernardo's seven community centers, and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are outfitted with radios to provide the essential communication links between Rancho Bernardo and the City and County. This valued radio equipment has been provided by the contributions of concerned RB residents.

Emergency calls from the neighborhoods are transmitted to their respective community centers. From the community centers the messages are radioed to the Emergency Operations Center, the focal point for all emergency messages. The EOC, in turn, transmits the messages to the City and County agencies that can provide support and assistance to our community. All participants in this most important process are volunteer operators. These volunteers are your neighbors. They welcome the opportunity to serve our community.

Our thanks go to: Jim Baker, Scott Belfield, Dick Beym, Bob Bleiweiss, Jerry Bobian, Jim Diaz, Howard Ehlers, Basil Frank, David Gearing, Sam Glassberg, Everett Harris, Warren Hodges, Bruce Leonard, John McCue, Sam Miller, Claude Owens, Irving Pregozen, Glen Reed, Betty Roberts, Arlo Sampson, Jim Scanlan, Stan Shaut, Don Spencer, Vern Sylvester and Wally Thompson. Rancho Bernardo is grateful to you all.

Communications is a fascinating business, and you can be a volunteer operator. No license is required, and you can obtain great satisfaction by providing this service to your community. Call Jim Scanlan 485-0879 and he will do the rest.

Check out the RBERS web page at www.rbernardo.com

Courtesy RB NEWSJournal
November 16, 2000