Chris Snyder, Emergency Management Specialist for PEMA asked me to post the following information to clarify some information from the 9/26/2009 PEMA conference that was referenced in the report from John, N3SPW, earlier.

John, N3SPW, former EC of WPA, did a very good job of summarizing the ACS/RACES conference that was held. However, John and I am sure others, misunderstood the changes for the RACES Officer position. I would like to take the opportunity to clarify this issue. In his report John wrote:

“The RACES RO and RACES Deputy RO positions will be phased out and replaced by an ACS Officer and ACS Deputy Officer. The state will be instructing each county EMA to appoint an ACS Officer and an ACS Deputy Officer from within the included organizations. The ACS Officer’s role will be in the EOC and they will oversee all communications groups when activated. There is a very real possibility that the county EMA may choose someone who is not a licensed amateur radio operator. If you are currently the local RACES RO or DRO, I would strongly suggest that you familiarize yourself with the PEMA ACS plan and get in touch with the local county EMA office to express your continued interest in emergency communications. If they don’t know that you are interested, you may be overlooked for the new positions.”

In actuality the RACES Officer position is NOT being phased out. We are simply (if you can call it that) changing the name of the position to ACS Officer. We have not yet set a date for when this will take effect. However, I would expect the time to be on or shortly after the beginning of the year.

ACS Officer will retain ALL the duties and responsibilities of the RACES Officer. RACES is NOT going away. ACS is simply is an expansion of RACES and as such RACES operations will remain the foundation of and and integral part of ACS. As such ACS Officers and Deputy ACS Officers will need to be licensed Amateur Radio operators. PEMA is not advocating/suggesting that ANY current RACES Officer be replaced because of implementation of the ACS.

Chris Snyder | Emergency Management Specialist, Acting RACES Officer Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
2605 Interstate Drive | Harrisburg | PA 17110
Phone: 717.346.3103 | Fax: 717.651.2240