[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by MelZ

The Villages has it's own CERT Organization

CERT of The Villages Home Page

In the Tampa area the CERT teams rely heavily on communications by handheld radios in the VHF or UHF bands, which requires federal amateur radio licenses. There are also several VHF and/or UHF radio repeater stations which broadens their areas of communications coverage.

Is the Villages CERT team using communications of this sort? I would think that The Villages Amateur Radio Club would be a valuable resource in instruction for the taking of the test for licensing.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

In the Tampa area the CERT teams rely heavily on communications by handheld radios in the VHF or UHF bands, which requires federal amateur radio licenses. There are also several VHF and/or UHF radio repeater stations which broadens their areas of communications coverage.



Is the Villages CERT team using communications of this sort? I would think that The Villages Amateur Radio Club would be a valuable resource in instruction for the taking of the test for licensing.

I am with TV CERT. We use radios in many of our operations. As a subset of The Villages Public Safety Department I believe our radio use falls under their authority. We routinely hold classes regarding the proper use of radios for anyone in the command structure of our 350 member organization. In addition numerous members of TV are also members of TV Amateur Radio Club. In September another 30 or so of us will start a course so we can become licensed so we can also operate on ham radio channels.

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by dbussone

I am with TV CERT. We use radios in many of our operations. As a subset of The Villages Public Safety Department I believe our radio use falls under their authority. We routinely hold classes regarding the proper use of radios for anyone in the command structure of our 350 member organization. In addition numerous members of TV are also members of TV Amateur Radio Club. In September another 30 or so of us will start a course so we can become licensed so we can also operate on ham radio channels.

Your radio use under The Villages PSD is lawful only if you are using radios on the designated Public Safety portion of the radio spectrum. Anyone using a radio that operates in the Amateur Radio (ham) portion of the spectrum must have a federal ham license or the radio must be under the physical oversight of a licensed ham.

If you are using radios issued by the PSD then they are probably in PS frequencies.

Here in Tampa the CERT units are more likely to be using ham radios because of the extensive ham network directly connected with the County Emergency Operations Center under the national ARES (program of the American Radio Relay League) and RACES (governmental sponsored) programs. The CERT members also generally own their own radios. Use is not limited to the Command Structure. Every member is encouraged to have a radio.

In any event, you are to be commended for participating in a program that will be a service to your neighbors in the event of an emergency.

[john2]

Since when do we have to praise and fall all over ourselves, thanking people for doing their job? I'm sure the person who got their purse back thanked the officer. As far as the negative comments on police, totally justified. They carry guns and have great power over all us "civilians". The police have become increasingly militarized and abusive of their power. They no longer serve and protect, not "peace" officers but enforcement officers who are looking at the bottom line. Tickets = money

[tedquick]

Originally Posted by john2

Since when do we have to praise and fall all over ourselves, thanking people for doing their job? I'm sure the person who got their purse back thanked the officer. As far as the negative comments on police, totally justified. They carry guns and have great power over all us "civilians". The police have become increasingly militarized and abusive of their power. They no longer serve and protect, not "peace" officers but enforcement officers who are looking at the bottom line. Tickets = money

John, not sure where you came from, where you now live, or what your personal experiences has been with the police to date but your picture of officers is substantially different than mine.

[BS Beef]

Originally Posted by tedquick

John, not sure where you came from, where you now live, or what your personal experiences has been with the police to date but your picture of officers is substantially different than mine.

In fact that is so far off base I'm wondering if it wasn't posted just to get a rise.

[tedquick]

Originally Posted by BS Beef

In fact that is so far off base I'm wondering if it wasn't posted just to get a rise.

Perhaps.

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by john2

Since when do we have to praise and fall all over ourselves, thanking people for doing their job? I'm sure the person who got their purse back thanked the officer. As far as the negative comments on police, totally justified. They carry guns and have great power over all us "civilians". The police have become increasingly militarized and abusive of their power. They no longer serve and protect, not "peace" officers but enforcement officers who are looking at the bottom line. Tickets = money

As the initiator of this thread I am pointing out that I did not "fall all over" myself thanking the police for doing their job. I commented on the imaginative approach of the Marion County Sheriff's Office in using a Facebook page for identifying criminal suspects.

On the other hand, the resentful tone of your negative stereotype of police officers betrays both a possible failure to understand the police role in our society and in all likelihood that you have been the recipient of a traffic ticket which you were appropriately issued.

We live in a society of government ruled by laws. There are many levels to those laws; those who pass them, those who make decisions regarding the guilt or innocence of those charged with violating them, and those who most directly deal with those charged with violations - police officers. They are the primary interface between our government and its citizens.

People who break laws, even traffic laws, are usually resentful of the police officers who observe the violations and apprehend the violators. I suspect that you are in that category.

You remind me of the man who once complained to me about police abuse because he was ticketed for running a stop sign. After his lengthy harangue, which I listened to patiently, he ended up by saying, "I'll admit I didn't get out and kick all four tires at the stop sign....."