Reserve emergency fan out/call out - A positive side to 22OCT14

[Dissident]

Twice now I have asked my section who would be ready to gear up and go, following a crisis. Yesterday I preemptively (and ultimately uselessly) asked my troops if they were available to deploy domestically. The response I received was nothing short of astounding.

Over half of my section responded that they would only need enough time to grab their gear and drive to our armoury, with every other healthy member confirming they would be ready to show up within 24h. I have two members on TCat with restrictions, one of which was still willing to come in and do what he could.

We sometimes do fan out exercises with typical results. These are planned in advance and we know they are coming; hence the attendance is about typical of a regular week end exercise.

Luck and schedules likely played parts in the result, since all of them have regular full time jobs. There is also no doubt that in the case of a local natural disaster we would be in a self-recovery mode and returns would not be as positive. Nonetheless, my deepest conviction has always been that when the chips were down reservist would ante up and rally to the flag.

 

[kratz]

I've witnessed similar results in the units I was with during disasters and emergencies (Y2K, 9/11, Floods, storms).

It's something to be proud of when nearly everyone is willing to drop and go from their civilian life, for the greater good.

 

[AEnns]

I'm surprised that knowing you might be called on to provide emergency support, every reservist isn't ready to be there within 24h?

 

[PMedMoe]

I'm surprised that knowing you might be called on to provide emergency support, every reservist isn't ready to be there within 24h?

Maybe because some have fulltime jobs? 

 

[daftandbarmy]

In the snowstorm in Victoria in '96 we had over 150 turn up and stay for 4 days. Many of them slogged in on foot.

The biggest problem was feeding, equipping and housing them all in a crappy old 1915 armoury with ridiculously limited amounts of proper emergency response gear. It struck me at the time that our commitment to infrastructure and other operational support did in no way match the willingness of our 'part timers' to serve in a crisis.

 

[Remius]

In the snowstorm in Victoria in '96 we had over 150 turn up and stay for 4 days. Many of them slogged in on foot.

The biggest problem was feeding, equipping and housing them all in a crappy old 1915 armoury with ridiculously limited amounts of proper emergency response gear. It struck me at the time that our commitment to infrastructure and other operational support did in no way match the willingness of our 'part timers' to serve in a crisis.

Same issues during the 98 ice storm here.  We had to switch to rations after a two days because the field kitchens couldn't support.  We had 150-200 for the first week or so.  OC transpo deployed us...

 

[medicineman]

I'm surprised that knowing you might be called on to provide emergency support, every reservist isn't ready to be there within 24h?

Maybe because some have fulltime jobs? 

...And some of those jobs are considered essential services in the communities they work in - floods earlier this year where I used to live had me getting green and coming in after my normal working day was done to basically donate time until the redeployment happened - I still was required to maintain my usual clinic hours and also be available for work in the ER if requested as well.  It's not as cut and dried as people like to think.

:2c:

MM

 

[MJP]

Good to hear about the pers willing to come in.  One of my bosses had a saying for DOMOPS that was along the lines of "No one says no during an operation".  Which is true and refreshing because a) DOMOPS are a no fail task for the CAF and b) you are generally use to no or yes with caveats any other time when requesting stuff for trg.

Same issues during the 98 ice storm here.  We had to switch to rations after a two days because the field kitchens couldn't support.  We had 150-200 for the first week or so.  OC transpo deployed us...

Rations should be the default in the first place anyway as it has less burden on the surrounding area's resources.  You don't want to harm recovery by sucking up all the resources.  Once things are stable and/or food can be brought from unaffected areas (which generally isn't an issue in Canada as disasters generally don't affect the entire country) then you switch to fresh feeding, and doing LPO and other resup from the local area.  Not touching the transport thing   We never have enough lift.

 

[Robert0288]

Maybe because some have fulltime jobs?

Also many others work in law enforcement or in other emergency response capacities.  I know I had to sit down and have the conversation that if SHTF and the reserves where to be called out, I would have probably already been locked in at my office or at least recalled for the duration (They even have IMPs and cots to sleep on)

As much as I would want to be out in the field helping lift sandbags during a hypothetical flood.  I know that I would have a much greater impact elsewhere.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Never had any problem getting people to come in on a voluntary basis.

During the Winnipeg flood, Navres asked all units to prepare and send their heavy boats to the Peg. Then, they asked IF (not order: get me) we had some crew that would be willing to come to operate them (otherwise, they would have gotten Regs to fill the boat's crew). I had more volunteers than the numbers we needed to man the boats 24/7 and in the end, I had to turn some of them down.

Same thing during the OKA crisis: We manned the Patrol boat for the OP with the Reserve Unit's personnel without any difficulty - even though some of us had to arrange immediate leave from work to fill some billets. This was again all done on the basis of a mere request by Mobile Command, not a recall order.

I have little doubt as to the dedication of the reservists in Canada should anything occur … Their parents might be another story

 

[The Bread Guy]

I have little doubt as to the dedication of the reservists in Canada should anything occur … Their parents and employers might be another story

FTFY

 

[Sf2]

Which is true and refreshing because a) DOMOPS are a no fail task for the CAF

Interested to hear your definition of no fail.

 

[MJP]

Interested to hear your definition of no fail.

When we are called to participate in a DOMOP within the scope of the msn we utilize all resources needed to help Cdns.  Institutional barriers, environmental bunfights and turfs wars dissipate (or at least hide very well) during a DOMOP.  Quite frankly we can't fail because Canadians and the protection of Canada are the reason we exist.