Last night and today have been fat man hell for me. I am fat, I am old and I have had heart surgery so the hot and humid weather of the last 2 days has knocked me on my butt. In the office we call this FAT MAN HELL. With Fat Man hell comes weather in the form of storms, weather of a rather violent nature and a bunch of ham radio operators that have taken a beginners storm spotting class. These hams no feel that they are meteorologists and want to predict where the storm is going to and where it is going to end up. They jibber/ jabber on the radio giving reports that are make no sense, and for some of us are made up just to hear themselves on the radio. I will layout some sensible guidelines that may help people since we are getting more of the same type of weather tonight.
1. Research what is going on BEFORE you go out.
A. Where is the forecasted storm path and what are your routes of escape?
2. Research what is going on if your the NET Control Examine the following.
A. Do you have APRS even APRS.FI is it on and do you know how to use it.
B. Who are you communicating with and do they have APRS on either RF or Internet reporting.
C. Who are you reporting spotting information to?
a. NWS Directly
b. Liaison repeater
c. Is the Liaison repeater working and being monitored?
d. Do you have the phone number to call the NWS directly?
e. If you have NWS chat is it working? Do you have current sign credentials that work?
D. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STANDBY NET!!!! you either have a net or you don't have a net. If you decided to activate a net have you covered points A,B and C?
3. You as the Net Control operator control the net! Keep traffic short. Those that are spewing for the sake of hearing themselves talk need to be squashed like a bug. I don't give a rats ass what they have to tell you other than I am at this location and see a tornado moving in this direction. That is the total amount of information that needs to be passed in a clear and concise manor.
4. The world does not care who you know or who you think you know. Take the information and PASS it. Don't bring up call signs of people on another net that has nothing to do with what is going on currently.
5. Spotters and Net Control People need to have keen situational awareness of what is going on. If you can't listen to 3 radios, talk on the phone and type at the same time its not worth wasting your time.
6. As a Spotter or Net Control operator you can only answer to one master. If you are part of multiple service groups pick that group to serve at that time and don't wear multiple hats. It is dangerous and does not give your full attention to the job at hand. You are doing a total disservice if you try to leave one operation early to service another agency on the same incident. Know where your allegiances lie and stay with them.
In listening to last nights radio traffic NONE of this was followed on any of the nets I was listening to. Notice I said listening too. There was no sense in adding any traffic to any nets that were going on as it would even more confuse the situation. I got more information just listening to last nights cluster.
Finally if you want to be taken seriously and professionally. ACT PROFESSIONALLY.
