Message for the ARRL members in the North Florida ARRL Section
My name is Dale Sewell N4SGQ, a candidate for Section Manager in NFL.
My experience includes extensive National Traffic System CW and Phone net operations as Net Control, Net Manager, and Section Traffic Manager.
I held the position of Section Emergency Coordinator in 2004, coordinating activities for Hurricanes’ Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
I co-wrote the Section Emergency Communications Plan.
I proposed in 2004 a deployment plan that would lessen the load on amateurs in an area struck by disaster, sending in deployment teams within 24 hours to allow affected amateurs to attend to their families, homes and jobs.
I was Emergency Coordinator for Okaloosa County in the early 90s.
I worked for the FL-1 NDMS Disaster Medical Assistance Team as communicator on deployments to Hurricane Andrew ops in Miami and Hurricane Marilyn in St. Thomas, VI.
I have received Red Cross Disaster Assistance training.
My administrative experiences include federal work as a Workplace Violence Analyst working across the U.S., including Washington, D.C. I served as an AFGE Union negotiator prior to that.
As your Section Manager I propose a team concept of section direction by empowering the membership to provide input and acting off of that input to drive policy.
I will rely upon the talent of the section to use your skills to lead with me.
The following are some of the goals I would like to see us work on together:
1) Emphasis on restoring consistency of the section-wide ARES program with established standards through training.
2) Evaluation of our new amateur training to make sure that we are adequate exposure and new hams into the section through readily available training. Incorporate podcast training on websites throughout the section.
3) Emphasizing inclusion of all classes of amateur licensees in ARES activity, diversity of operational needs. Introduce ARES membership to newly licensed amateurs and offer them a program role.
4) Establish an Assistant Section Manager for Training to oversee and coordinate District site training and Section web based interactive training.
5) Web based interactive training for ARES Section Plan, SM news updates, inter operability training.
6) Revision of Northern Florida Section Emergency Communications Plan (NFSECP) to restore a consistent ARES/RACES program consistent with ARRL structured programs.
7) Inclusion of existing WL2K communication system into NFSECP.
8) Improved communications with county government emergency management representatives to maximize opportunity for mutual gains.
9) Higher visibility in Public Information perspective promoting our value to public service in each county.
10) Improved communications with West Central and South Florida ARES for state wide coordination of program functions.
11) Aggressive positioning on Florida CCRs on towers by citing precedence in other states successful in legal resolution.
12) Regular meetings between section staff via Echolink with transcripts made available to membership on ARRL Section web page and via email distribution.
I ask for your vote for an opportunity to serve you and a chance to help us move this section forward. Thank you for your consideration.
73, Dale N4SGQ