[ARES-SE] [Fwd: ARES- Texas Hurricane Conference in Galveston]

[Mike (KA5CVH) Urich]

Gentlemen,

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Del Partridge, W5QQ 
and Frank Hormann, KM5I.  They each took the time to travel to Galveston 
and work the ARES booth that was sponsored by the Harris County ARES 
group. This  booth was specifically for ARES and served its purpose.  We 
made many contacts  with other amateur groups and officials from 
federal, state, county and  local government. It was a success.

The ARES booth displayed the "When All Else Fails" banner, along with 
ARES placards.  There was a presentation table with brochures supplied 
by the  ARRL.

A short audio/visual presentation was played in a continuous loop to 
draw participants to our booth.  Personnel manning the booth wore their 
  ARES/ARRL  shirts with khaki pants and shined shoes.  This corporate 
"uniform" was  consistent with the other exhibitors and vendors and made 
for a  professional  appearance.  There was another booth from the 
Galveston County  Emergency  Communications Group.  Their group 
represented their county and was not ARES centered.

There were no other amateur radio groups, such as  RACES, from the state 
or local area present in the exhibitor area to answer  questions.

Successes:
The booth was professional in appearance and personnel.  Many  officials
expressed interest in establishing ARES programs and were directed to 
the proper officials in their counties.  The audio/visual presentation 
caught the eyes of those walking by and lured them to the booth.  ARES 
members from other counties have requested a copy.

James Arzola, Assistant Director, Enterprise Support for the
Telecommunications Division of the Texas Department of Information 
Resources  introduced himself.  He is the author of "Annex B" of the 
State of Texas  Emergency Management Plan for Communications.  He 
expressed his desire to  see ARES more prominently displayed in the 
state's emergency plan and is  committed to working with the ARES 
leadership.  He has agreed to meet in  Austin during the "Summerfest" 
when the ARRL holds its meeting.

Mark Sloan, with Harris County Judge Emmett's Office, asked that ARES 
expand its involvement with C.E.R.T.  Harris County is the umbrella 
under which many counties around Harris county are conducting their 
C.E.R.T. training. These teams in Harris county are encouraged to 
incorporate  amateur radio in general and ARES specifically for disaster 
response.  Mark  Sloan has asked Joe Gadus to coordinate with the other 
county C.E.R.T.  coordinators to see if they are agreeable.  If so, ARES 
groups beyond  Harris County will be asked to participate in recruiting, 
training, and  supporting personnel for the C.E.R.T. programs in Harris 
and surrounding  counties.


Lessons Learned:
Appearance-  It is extremely important that ARES  leadership at all 
levels present a professional appearance and "wave the  flag".  Wearing 
the official ARES apparel was consistent with our partners  in 
government and private industry.  A gathering of three or four 
individuals wearing the same organization's logo on their shirts created 
a great  visual impact to others.

Booth-  Simplicity and order create a professional  image.  A well 
organized table with neatly presented materials are  attractive and eye 
catching. Wires, cables and a disorganized approach  with unfocused 
personnel is counterproductive.  It is difficult to compete  with 
corporate entities who have sleek, well organized booths with well 
dressed  and trained presenters focused on one central message.

Workshops- ARES must be prepared to carry their own flag  and present a
positive image of our accomplishments and mission.  Past  failures and 
unsuccessful operations should be handled within the  organization. 
While we can always improve on past experiences, it leaves a  negative 
thought when we say we could have or should have done better.  The  use 
of outside sources to present our case should be avoided if possible. 
Many of our served agencies and clients rely on a number of amateur 
organizations.  Our goal of advancing ARES is vulnerable when we are 
presented as subordinate to, or just one of many groups like RACES, 
SATERN and  MARS.  Presentations should be short and geared for a
specific  audience.  Mayors and directors of OEM's do not need to know 
all of the  technical aspects of our operations.  They need to know what 
we can do for them.  We should save our technical information for their 
technical  staff.

I am now working on obtaining a booth for the Houston Hurricane Workshop 
on June 9th, 2007.  I wish you luck in the upcoming June 6th drill.

Please let me know how it turns out.

Joe Gadus, Public Information Officer
Harris County Amateur Radio Emergency Service






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