Public Service Communications vs. Public Safety Communications

Here's is the second installment in this series on why the NRCEV is promoting and offering national certifications for EmComm volunteers.

Traditionally, amateur radio operators participated in emergency communications (EmComm) as an extension of their participation in public service communications for parades, walk-a-thons and other similar events.  Public service communications are a way to use the hobby to provide a community service and can provide opportunities to practice EmComm procedures.

With the significant changes that have occurred, NIMS and other federal initiatives at the top of the list, amateur radio EmComm needs to move from the public service arena to the public safety arena.

To better clarify and understand this last point it will beneficial to provide some definitions.  It is with these two definition in mind that this article is written.

Public Service (community service): A service performed for the benefit of the public, especially by a nonprofit organization. (This is the definition we will use for traditional amateur radio public service communications provided during parades, walk-a-thons, talk to Santa program and other similar planned events.  I also place Health & Welfare message handling in this category.  While H&W traffic may be passed during a disaster, these types of messages do not have direct life safety or property protection implications.  Also, because the operations of those pass H&W messages more closely resembles that used during a public service event (e.g. not requiring significant coordination with emergency management disciplines) than for those conducting communications in direct support of disaster operations.).

Public Safety: Involves the protection of the general population from all manner of significant danger, injury, damage or harm, such as may occur in a natural disaster, and the prevention of the same. (This is the definition we will use for emergency communications provided during disasters and synonomus with EmComm).

Clearly, providing Public Safety Communications can be seen as, and is, providing a public service.  However, Public Service Communications rarely, especially for the types of events which they are typically provided, if ever, can be considered Public Safety Communications.

Should a valid argument be made that they can be considered the same, particularly in the techniques and procedures used, there is one significant area in which Public Service Communications and Public Safety Communications differ, and appropriately so.

That is in the attitude and mind set of the provider.

Both are appropriate and can be held by the same person.

Generally, they can be described as follows:

When performing traditional Public Service Communications, participation is usually seen as an extension of the amateur radio hobby where no special training is required beyond good operating habits.  Participants spend a few hours or sometimes a few days providing communications links or capabilities for a planned public event.  Occasionally, communications for medical or other assistance are made, however, most events occur without any significant emergencies or problems.  While participants typically provide communications support to an event sponsor, the amateur radio operations are not typically intergrated or coordinated with any other groups, as this is not usually necessary.  Public Service Communications are a great way to promote the hobby, "play with our equipment" and maybe conduct some EmComm training all while providing a service to the community or organization.  Basically, while Public Service Communications can provide an opportunity to practice EmComm techniques and procedures, it is done for fun. 

On the other hand, Public Safety Communications are always performed during real disaster or related training exercises.  Public Safety Communications should always be performed from the "service" aspect of Amateur Radio, not the "hobby" aspect.  Purely based on the circumstances under which participation occurs, any communications conducted have significant potential impact on life safety and property protection issues.  EmComm operations must be effectively integrated and coordinated with the overall management of the event.  This means participants must be trained and continue training on a regular basis.  They need to see themselves a part of a much larger team.  And the "game" this team plays in uses a different and more involved set of rules that all team members must play by.

Many people do not like this idea.  They say "we are only volunteers why should we have to do all this training?"  To that I say, if all you want to do is provide Public Service Communications, you don't have to do any of the training, but if you want to provide Public Safety Communications you need to decide you will, even if you don't like it.

As a comparison, look at volunteer EMTs (including EMT-Paramedics).  Just like those who volunteer for RACES, ARES or other EmComm groups, they are purely volunteers.  They are not paid and they don't spend every day or waking hour living and training to be an EMT.  Still, depending on the state, all EMTs must participate in local training as well as mandatory continuing education (Con-Ed) every year.  Most EMTs have to obtain 40 hours or more of Con-Ed every year.  In fact, volunteer EMTs have exactly the same requirements to maintain their certification/licensure that paid EMTs do, the laws and regulations do not treat them any differently.

Let me ask you, when you call for an ambulance, who do you expect to be riding on that ambulance?  EMTs that train on a regular basis and keep their skills sharp or someone who hasn't undergone any training but that simply signs up as a member of the ambulance squad?  Does it matter to you whether or not that EMT is a volunteer or paid?  Do you expect anything different from a volunteer than you do a paid EMT?  How about the doctors and nurses at the hospital?  Do they expect the same from all EMTs regardless of whether or not they are volunteers?

Volunteer EMTs and firefighters and other volunteer first responders understand that when they are acting in those capacities they are performing public safety functions.  And to adequately perform those functions, to the expectations of the public and others they work and interact with, they must take their role seriously and do the things they are required to do.  Whether that is training in topics that are not job specific, obtaining continuing educations, participation in exercises or whatever else they are asked to do.

They may not like having to do all this, and just as EmComm volunteers, some will do only the minimum requirements, based on time availability or desire, and other will do much more. 

The point is, what makes us, as amateur radio operators, any different or more special that these other volunteers?  NOTHING !!!!  If we want to participate in the world of Public Safety by providing communications support, we need to get ourselves in the same mind set as volunteer EMTs.  At least during the times that we are involved in Public Safety Communications related activities, we need to be in that mind set.  When we are doing other things that are hobby related, which may be 90%-99% of the time for the average EmComm volunteer, then have fun and set the Public Safety Communications mind set aside.

Additionally, the skill set and licensing amateurs bring as EmComm volunteers set them apart from other "volunteers", such as those that volunteer with organizations such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army, who assist in running a shelter, operating feeding stations or handing out donated goods.  These other volunteers do not require any specialized skills or require and special official certifications or licensure.  Anyone, can volunteer in these capacities and provide the extra "sets of hands" that is much needed by these types of organizations in a disaster.  This skill set and licensing of amateurs, and others involved in EmComm, is unique and specialized enough to consider it a discipline, and as such obliges those of us involved to undertake the steps and activities necessary to become as individually proficient as we possibly can.

When I help out the local club provide communications for a community event, I approach it as an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow amateur radio operators, provide a service to the community through supporting the event sponsors, promote amateur radio and sometimes utilize the opportunity to practice some EmComm techniques and procedures.

When I am functioning as an EmComm volunteer, I am doing so in the capacity of an emergency responder not a hobbyist.  While I receive satisfaction from the service I provide, my reason for being there is to support the efforts of those who are directly involved in responding to and managing the incident.  They expect me to be a team player, do what is necessary (whether or not it's related to communications), and understand where I fit into the overall response to the incident.  I am not there to "have fun" or socialize or to get headlines.  In fact, if I'm doing my job well, most people will not even know I'm there, except for those which whom I am directly working.

I believe we need to make a clear differentiation between Public Service Communications and Public Safety Communications.  There is and always will be a place in amateur radio for both types of activities.  Both provide opportunities for individuals to provide a service to their communities.  They contain some commonalities, but the expectations of and the requirements for participating in each of the activities are significantly different.

The NRCEV, and its programs, are targeted towards and designed for those who participate in Public Safety Communications - EmComm.  They are designed to bring EmComm in line with more traditional emergency responder disciplines by providing similar "credentials" for training and qualifications that have been required and/or utilized by these other disciplines. EmComm is not the place where we want to rely on spontaneous volunteers.  EmComm needs to be populated with dedicated and trained volunteers.  The NRCEV programs, most importantly, recognize those who working to meet a level of proficiency and expertise as EmComm volunteers, and then identifies them to those who make use of their services.  We strive to take commonly excepted EmComm training and marry them with emergency management training and design programs that mirror or at least are in line with those utilized by traditional first responder disciplines. 

Unfortunately, other efforts in this area, including the ARRL with their ARES database, are not intended to be a "universal" system for all EmComm volunteers regardless of the organization they belong to, the agencies they serve or what part of the country they live in.   They also do not appear to be trying to bring EmComm in line with other emergency responder disciplines.  We need to become a close active member of the emergency management/response family and not remain a distant cousin who only shows up when things are bad.  We need to be part of this group on an ongoing and regular basis.  We can't do this if we continue with a collective attitude of being so different or special that only doing things our (amateur radio centric) way will work.  We are acting like the kid with the ball who if he doesn't get his own way (by not making us follow the rules everyone else does) will take the ball and go home.  What most fail to realize is that we don't own the ball, and if we decide we don't want to play by the rules and leave, very few will miss us.  They aren't going to beg us to stay and play.  They are glad to have us and hope we will stay and play, but they are going to change the rules to get us to stay. 

The NRCEV, through its EmComm certifications and by developing an EmComm Position Qualification System, are attempting to provide the EmComm community with a set of tools and mechanisms, utilizing similar principles and practices used by traditional emergency responder disciplines, which will demonstrate our dedication and qualifications to be part of the larger emergency management/responder community.