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ACS Redefines Mission and Organization |
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Written by Pete Smith N7BYP
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Friday, 07 April 2006 |
Seattle ACS is Reframing its Mission and Organization to be better prepared to meet the needs of Seattle’s Communities and Government Agencies in times of Emergency.
At the January 25 business and training meeting Mark Sheppard and Jim Doub, the newly appointed Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) Deputy Director introduced and discussed the new ACS organization, assignment of key personnel and a change in strategy for better providing services to the city and its citizens. Please see the organizational diagram on page 4 which identifies the structure and personnel assigned. The organization is divided in to two main branches: 1. Communication Services and 2. Staff Support
1. Communications Services – incorporating what works well into shaping a new approach for the future: The biggest change is our approach to service delivery. Previously we attempted to build teams geographically with the intention of setting up communication posts at the 23 or more community centers across the city. We have never been able to recruit adequate numbers of volunteers in the central, south east and south west communities of the city. We have re-thought our deployment model where we send a couple of ACS volunteers to meet with Seattle Disaster Aid & Response Team (SDART) runners at a community center, take their requests for assistance and forward the messages to the Emergency Operations Center. In a real disaster it would be unrealistic to expect ACS volunteers to work alone without the support of other city resources. This could be unsafe and the volunteers would likely become quickly overwhelmed.
In our new framework we look to area team leaders to develop local knowledge of the community, its resources and facilities as well as recruit hams as ACS members. When necessary to deploy ACS in an emergency, teams would be assembled from across the city and sent to work with other city resources as part of an area command structure located at designated command posts. We also want to expand our capacity and capabilities in providing staff support to the Seattle EOC, the mobile communications center and Operations Centers operated by city departments and other local government agencies. These specialty teams will be recruited and trained from the ACS general membership.
Leadership appointments in the Communications Services Branch of ACS - We want thank the following ACS members for accepting the following leadership posts: Joel Ware, EOC Comm-Center Manager; Bill Dockstader, Comm-Center Logistics coordinator; EOC Comm Team Leads – Alex Bertea, Blue Team Lead and Mat Thomas, Green Team Lead; George Boswell, Community Support Manager; Bill Ehler, acting NW Team Lead; Don Moore, NE Team Lead; John Lever, Assistant NE Team Lead; Don Deibert, CE Team Lead; and Chris Osburn, SE Team Lead.
2. Staff Support – the technical, administrative and management systems that support the organization and service delivery mission: Please look at the right side of the organizational chart. These Staff functions are the glue that keeps the organization together and provides the communication flow to the members via the newsletter QRV?, the WEB and the scheduled weekly nets. We have added a couple of new key positions: First, a Technical Systems Manager to head a team to care for our equipment at the Comm-center and elsewhere, oversee our repeaters (equipment and coordination), our frequency plan, be trustee for our station license and coordinate our digital strategy. And second, a Membership Systems Manager to handle the registration of members via our database to track our experience and training.
Leadership appointments in the Staff Support Branch of ACS – We want thank the following ACS members for accepting the following leadership posts: Mike Tyler, Technical Systems Team Manager; Paula Weir, Membership Systems Manager; Bill Ehler, Net Manager; Pete Smith, Newsletter Editor; Paula Weir, WEB Site Manager; Jim Doub, Inter-Organizational Liaison Coordinator (Acting)
I have appointed Jim Doub as Deputy ACS Director. Jim has lead the development of ACS’s new training and credentialing program and has made many contributions to the organizational structuring, policy framework and the professionalism of ACS. Jim and Mark will work together to forward the plans of the new organization and continue to move ACS on the path of continual improvement. Thank you to Jim for accepting this appointment. If you are interested in joining one of the specialty teams or applying for one of the leadership posts please contact the manager of that function or Jim Doub or Mark Sheppard.
The January 25 meeting covered several other topics – here is the agenda:
• Introductions (Mark)
• Training Topics
– Frequency Plan (Jim 15 minutes)
– HTs & HT Programming (Jim 15 min.)
– Batteries, Adapters, etc. (Mark 15 min)
– Antennas & Adapters (Mark 15 min)
– Future Directions ACS Digital (Bill, George & Steve 15 min)
• Business Topics
– Training Matrix (Jim 10 min.)
– Organization Update (Mark 10 min)
– EmComm Course (Brian 5 min)
– Calendar and next meeting scheduled for Saturday February 25 9-12:00 at a location to be announced.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 January 2007 )
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