Hams have the ability to rapidly enlarge their communication capacity to meet growing needs
in an emergency, something commercial and public safety systems cannot normally do. Many
of the skills are the same ones that are used in everyday ham activities. However, just having
radios, frequencies, and basic radio skills is not enough. Certain emergency communication
skills are very different from those you use in your daily ham radio life. Outlines like this one
help fill that need, as do local training programs and regular emergency exercises. Without
specific emergency communication skills, you can easily become part of the problem rather
than part of the solution.