In the sense used in this document, an emergency response organization assists in local emergencies/disasters within the first 72 hours after occurrence. Disaster relief organizations (such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc) typically deploy after 72 hours have elapsed. The Lawrence County Sheriff's Auxiliary is an emergency response organization which deploys as soon as possible upon activation and remains in the field to assist in the transition to disaster relief as normal services and mechanisms begin to cope with the problem.
As soon as possible means "a call plus driving time". The goal of the organization is to have on-call members to the scene of a major (local) occurence in less than an hour, with further volunteers activating over a 12-48 hour period according to need. The only way that this can happen is if we are prepared well in advance. This is accomplished by having ready-to-go personal kit which will contain what we need to deal with a crisis: a Go-Bag and an Extended Field Bag (EFB). The Go Bag contains the tools and supplies a volunteer requires to spend 12-20 hours in the field (until headquarters can activate, billets can be prepared, and a supply line is put in place). The Extended Field Bag carries the volunteer out to 72 hours and then with additional rations and supplies from the unit, indefinitely.
Both bags must be packed and on-hand at all times. It is often appropriate to have them in the trunk of a vehicle so that they are accessible at home and at work. They should be in a form where they can be carried when necessary to hike to a work area or to an encampment (remember that first-in volunteers may not have the benefit of cleared roads). The two bags are separated so that they can be carried together if necessary or that the EFB can be easily dropped and the Go-Bag carried. The Go Bag is clearly marked with an orange tag and the EFB with an blue tag. This makes it easy for a volunteer to arrive at a staging area and drop the bags in two piles for transport to the work site and the field headquarters or billets, respectively.
The contents of the personal kit are in addition to whatever kit is required for a volunteer's specialty, such as radio equipment for a communications specialist, medical kit for a field medic, etc.
Every effort must be made to ensure that personal kits are ready and complete. The Quartermaster shall maintain spares of critical supplies and equipment, but if volunteers arrive unprepared, at best it slows down the effort and at worst it puts the unit in danger.
The Go-Bag is the container of tools and supplies which will sustain a volunteer through 12-20 hours in the field. It should be packed and accessible at all times such that, upon receiving an activation warning, it can be grabbed and packed in a vehicle, or carried if necessary. A balance must be struck between ensuring that essential gear is available when needed and keeping the Go-Bag as light and compact as possible. This is a balance we will need to work out through time and training.
Suggested Contents (discussion about equipment standardization elsewhere)
Emergency response volunteers should be in the habit of carrying essential supplies at all times. It is perfectly possible and reasonable for a CCW-holder and First Responder to have a firearm, flashlight, compact first-aid kit, and knife on their person at nearly all times (wherever permissible). Recall that many businesses were open and operating at the time the Joplin F-5 tornado struck. There was no possibility, in many cases, of getting to emergency gear in the first aid kit behind the counter or an emergency kit in the trunk of the car: in many cases, neither the kit nor the car were still there after the funnel passed. People who are prepared and have emergency equipment are in a position to help others and begin organizing an effective response.
To this end, it is recommended to have a compact version of an essential tool (e.g. a pocket knife) on your person and a more robust tool in the Go-Bag. This provides a backup item or an item to loan another responder and also ensures that you are not caught flat-footed if you cannot access your bag. For example:
Medication: It is also worth noting that if you need daily medication, especially one which will cause problems if it is not taken, you will need to have it with you when you deploy (along with doctor/prescription information for emergency purposes and for obtaining more in an extended circumstance). If this is a critical issue, you can have your pharmacist fill and label a small bottle with an emergency supply for your kit (rotate and use up periodically) or just get in the habit of keeping your medication on your person or in your Go-Bag all of the time. Ensure that the Chief Medical Officer is aware of the condition and the required medication.
The Extended Field Bag sustains the volunteer out to 72 hours in temporary billets or encampment and should be prepared with the possibility that there may be no further supplies available within that period. The EFB is separated from the Go-Bag so that the kit a volunteer may need to carry into the field is as small and light as possible. The contents of the EFB will not be needed in the course of a normal workday and, given that the EFB shall be clearly marked and separated, the load-master can send them directly to wherever volunteers will be spending the night, whether that be temporary billets as guests in community homes, a field encampment, shelter, or other facility.
In the event that supplies such as clean water and hot meals are available, the contents of the EFB can be saved and replenished to extend the amount of time a volunteer can stay out without support. If we are to deploy for longer than 72-hours, the contents of the EFB will run low and unit-resupply must be in place before that time expires. The EFB must contain basic camp items such as cups and mess kit, toiletries and shave kit, etc., so that the volunteer can operate in the field outside 72 hours given steady supplies of clean water, food, hygenic supplies, and other consumables. In case potable water is not available or the supply is not reliable, the EFB shall contain minimal water treatment equipment (e.g. tablets or personal bacterial-grade filter).
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Supplies need to be inventoried, checked, and rotated on a regular basis (e.g. monthly).
In order to coordinate with law enforcement and other responders in the field, Auxiliary volunteers must have access to a Part-90 certified 2-way radio. We also frequently need to coordinate with volunteer organizations and regular citizens (e.g. CERT, ARES, Neighborhood Watch). Because it is extremely difficult for on-call volunteers to carry more than one radio, we need a radio handset which can be adapted for as many roles as possible. The LCSA has some number of cache radios it can issue to volunteers, but many volunteers purchase their own. This page describes what radio models and what add-on equipment is known to work.
All volunteers must be authorized by the Sheriff's Office by meeting 2-way radio training requirements and being issued a county call sign. Public service radios may only be used for official, authorized traffic.
Recommended Handsets
The Wouxun is one of the only radio handsets which is both Part 90 (commercial and public service) and Amateur Radio certified. It's wide frequency coverage means that it can be programmed to monitor virtually everything we use on a regular basis or potentially transmit on a number of services for emergency communication purposes. As our needs change, it can be adapted to suit the new requirements. It also has the ability to be extended with after-market accessories, including higher-power batteries or battery-excluders, microphones, external antenna, etc., and those accessories should work with other radios if ever decide to use a different handset. Wouxun handsets can be programmed with high-quality free software (CHIRP) and can be cloned handset-to-handset in the field. The radio quality is somewhat lacking compared to a dedicated public service or amateur radio handset, but it is one of few options which can do both well at all.
Note on different models: In general, get the newest version. We have found that it is possible to clone from a new handset to an old handset but not necessarily from an old model to a new. The KG-UV6X comes with the 1700mAH high-capacity battery which is an added cost in older models.
Recommended accessories