104 Monitoring

Course Overview:

This is the updated and revised version of REACT’s Monitoring Course, first published in 1982.  Since then the character and value of monitoring have changed as the number of Personal Radio Service options have increased and the reliance on cell phones and GPS units has greatly reduced the call volume on Channel 9.  At the same time, increasingly large and frequent disasters have made our ability to monitor important to providing assistance to motorists in evacuations, helping route relief supplies, and also to gathering information from the public to help develop a better picture of the impacts.This is the updated and revised version of REACT’s Monitoring Course, first published in 1982.  Since then the character and value of monitoring have changed as the number of Personal Radio Service options have increased and the reliance on cell phones and GPS units has greatly reduced the call volume on Channel 9.  At the same time, increasingly large and frequent disasters have made our ability to monitor important to providing assistance to motorists in evacuations, helping route relief supplies, and also to gathering information from the public to help develop a better picture of the impacts.

Our Monitoring covers:

• REACT’s Role in Emergency Communications
• Monitoring Basics
• Monitoring Procedures
• Disaster Monitoring
• Don’t Do These
• Keeping Records
• Forms

The course manual is 26 pages in length and should take no more than 1 hour to complete.  There is a detailed final examination – when you are ready, contact our training staff at Training@REACTIntl.org to obtain the web address and password for our online testing system.  Continuing education units are awarded for course completion.

This course will not make you an expert in monitoring.  It is an introduction.  You have to practice.  We recognize that the frequency of calls for assistance on channel 9 is very low.  So, include taking practice calls as part of table top exercises in your Team, or as a separate part of each meeting.  Use FRS radios in your meeting, start each transmission with THIS IS AN EXERCISE, and grade each call.  If you have members with lots of monitoring hours experience from the 1970s-1980s use that experience to design challenging calls.    If you need assistance in creating these scenarios, please contact Training@REACTIntl.org – we will be glad to help.  When you develop proficiency, you will make a real contribution to improve REACT’s overall ability to be an effective communications partner for the emergency management community.