Radio group seeks to use site
By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-HeraldJOHNSTOWN - A committee of Fulton County supervisors recently authorized a local emergency radio club to use the county's Emergency Operations Center on Route 29 for its future meetings and drills.
County Civil Defense-Fire Coordinator Allan Polmateer recently presented the request by the Tryon Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service club, or RACES, to the Board of Supervisors' Public Safety Committee at the County Office Building.
"They [RACES] are part of the emergency management system," Polmateer said.
He said the RACES club asked to use the county's Emergency Operations Center - located above the Highways and Facilities Department garage on Route 29 - for meetings, training and drills involving use of the group's radio equipment.
Polmateer said RACES interacts with similar groups throughout New York state. He said there would be no extra cost to the county.
Polmateer said RACES has been using the Fulton County Training Center on Sun Valley Road to some extent already.
He said Highways and Facilities Superintendent Mark Yost has expressed "some concerns" about RACES members using the Emergency Operations Center, but he didn't elaborate. Yost couldn't be reached this morning for comment.
County Administrative Officer Jon Stead said Yost has security concerns about a private group using county facilities.
Polmateer said some county radio equipment has gone missing in the past, including some "key radios" - about $5,000 worth - so there has been some concern about security.
The county is doing ongoing renovations at the center, Polmateer said.
Stead said the county's general liability insurance will cover RACES activities at the site if the Board of Supervisors approves the radio club's use of it.
The committee supported RACES's access to the center, but it must be voted upon by the full board Nov. 9.
Michael Anich can be reached by e-mail at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
Facebook
MySpace
Digg
Stumble
Mixx
Fark
del.icio.us
LiveSpaces
|
Knickman
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-03-09 6:29 PM
|
As a member of this radio club, I resent the impression that certain politicians have tryed to imply in a roundabout way that our group stole these radios. The radios were storad in a container resembling a box trailer at the fire training center when the old condemmed facility was torn down to make way for the new building. Fulton county officials should have known this was a risk to leave them in this somewhat secluded area, when they could have be moved to the sheriffs complex at 29 & Harrison where the security would have been much better.
|
|
OnlyTheTruth
|
|
|
11-03-09 12:57 PM
|
By the way, RACES stands for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, not that the Leader Herald would do that research. RACES is part of the State Emergency Management Office where Amateur Radio Operators volunteer to help out. RACES people actually have desks and chairs in the State "Bunker" and are part of the State Emergency Plan and the State does not have any security issues! The missing radios comment should never have been part of this article or tied to the Tryon Amateur Radio Club!
|
|
COMEON
|
|
|
11-03-09 11:22 AM
|
What an INSULT to the radio club. This is something that happened long before the radio club entered the building. Remember these are public buildings where anybody can enter. The superintendent of the building is ultimately responsible. If there is valuable equipment of any kind stored there, he should make sure it is secured. The Tryon Radio Club is a group of responsible, respectful, concerned, trained and licensed radio operators who are willing to give their time and knowledge in radio communication to the county in time of disaster at no cost to the county. WHO WOULD SAY NO TO THAT ! Thank You to the board !
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
11-03-09 10:07 AM
|
Looks like they are all on the same wave length.
|
|
OnlyTheTruth
|
|
|
11-02-09 7:19 PM
|
I am a member of the radio group, and the missing radios were some 10 years ago and it had nothing to do with our group, they were stolen while in storage. We all have our own radios and donate many man hours already to the county and we do it because we care. We have been using the County Building on RT.29 for over 2 years now and there has never been any security issue from our group. I worry about security at my house too, but that does not mean there are thieves in my house. I am not sure how I should take the missing radio comment, but it is true that no good deed goes un-punished. The Tryon Amateur Radio Club is nothing but there to help our county with Emergency Communications at no expense to anyone but ourselves. Many of us have taken the same courses that our police and fire fighters have taken from FEMA (Incident Command Training). I personally have taken vacation days to attend these classes, we all are professional. Cheers to the County Board for working with us!!
|
|
hardworkingmom
|
|
|
11-02-09 7:05 PM
|
Nice to see the county is going to use them, I know they have been helping out all over the county over the last few years. They are a great group of people and have even helped the 3 local hospitals with their Department of Health Drill this past July. We may not get hurricanes, but we do get lots of ice and power outages and this group is ready to help when the time comes. Cheers to the County Board!!!!
|