Reading the comments on this subject, I am impressed by the thinking involved in the two camps that have emerge. I'll call one 'camp' the wealthy urban, metropolitan versus the other; the rural, not-so affluent Fly Over Country. Personally, I won't pick sides- I function, work, live/lived, eat, ate, sleep, slept ________ (fill in the blank) etc. etc.--- in both these worlds.
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I think it is so easy for those that live in the former to wonder why, and to criticize their less heeled fellow citizens for not doing things in the all-out proper ways. After all, its only money and if life is so important, no price paid should be too small.
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And so I'll agree; all firemen/women should have THE latest in multi-channel trunk'd 700/800Meg explosion proof radios in a variety of colours to match their turn out gear,-- Heck, for that matter-- the latest and best of everything------- but I have to ask that nagging question:
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"Who pays for it all?"
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Its one thing to be a wealthy city with bottomless deep pockets of a complacent tax base --and a government of like mind'd spenders-- it is entirely something else if you aren't such.
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Okay, I can't write like this without eventually resorting to my Anecdotes.
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So here's one-
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This morning I took a visiting friend on a trip out to a favorite place.
But first some background information. My, and the neighboring counties have scant populations (mine is less than 8000.) The topography is mostly vertical- ie: we are Mountain Central. There are paved roads, but far more aren't. Amenities are long drives away.
Here there are some isolated little hamlets barely sporting electricity- some don't even have that (the joys of total solar panel/wind power off the grid stuff.) Telephones? if the power lines go there- maybe--- Cellular?-- are you kidding?
The counties out here are on a statewide 800Mhz system- but 800 doesn't penetrate over 12/13/14,000 foot mountains into remote gulches. Get away from the county seats and off the paved roads you will find plenty of 'dead spots.'
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Enuff of this: I hope I convey'd the picture...
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The place we visited was a small incorporated old mining towne- its population varies depending on the season- maybe 60 in the summer- but only a handfull year around. They are outside the 800Mhz world, but there are telephones ( though forget DSL.) They have a state supplied base station to link them to the county seat- to 'Civilisation"- in case of really bad emergencies. Its on high band VHF- (remember the days of licensing for 'establishments in isolated places?' --Part 90.15 ?-- then you know what I'm describing. These places still exist in the Lower 48.) 800 doesn't cut it.
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The towne has no official government, but they do have a volunteer mayor- It was incorporated over a hundred years ago and is still remains sovereign- and as such they find it very convenient to have such an official to interact with the higher government powers.
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I am a long time friend of the Mayor
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As mayor, she has been able to get some of the plate scrapings from state/federal government surplus sources from time to time. There is, of course, a regular county fire/rescue system-- but the nearest station is over an optimistic no-snow-over-pass 90 minutes away. Police?.. the Sherrif is equally 'not right there' (think of this towne as true western 12 Ga. type local enforcement when necessary
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They have an old state donated fire engine, and an ambulance, and- to this topic's point- boxes full of old Motorola "bricks." These radios were intended for the town's 'emergency services', aka "volunteers."
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"Lauri, what are we going to do with these things?" she asked
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"None of their batteries are any good, they won't hold a charge, -- they are worthless."
"Plus they won't even talk to our one base station"
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I was ask'd to look them over shortly after she received this generous (??) donation... and what a collection they were- just a hodge-podge of mix'd bands and frequencies, none of which were usuable. Forget rechannelizing them-- really forget sinking money into new battery packs, new rubber duck antennas, chargers- the $$ need for such made this 'government donation' a joke.
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"We've tried to get other radios from them" she said, "but this is the best of the lot- we've had to throw the real the junk away"
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So over a bottle of single malt scotch we worked out a plan. Her signature on the FCC application I'd fill'd out, some PDF files of 'supporting documents' and such- got the town a handful of Part 90 155MHz frequencies. What did they do with them?
.......... What was the original topic about volunteers, their organizations and, most of all; their radios........... ?
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Today's visit went great. My friend from the East (she lives in one of those cities where they have certified explosion proof radios) enjoyed a personalized tour of the towne; from the old preserved single room schoolhouse, the former cribs of the 'soiled doves,' the old bars, and some of the Victorian homes along the streets- plus the building where the fire engine and ambulance are lovingly maintained and cared for by the towne's volunteers.
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Now least anyone think that this group uses 'hacked' radios- I never said they do. What I will say is that these people are anything but 'wannabes'- they are 'have to be's.' With their limited resources this little rural mountain town has found ways to fit high tech into low budget.
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...............................CF
