Did you guys CONTACT your hams? I know during that flooding, here in NYC we got a mutual aid call to go to Orange County, where we were not needed. I would have gladly run down to Bucks county for the day!!!

One of the big problems we have in ARES/RACES - nationwide is that the local fire/police/rescue people don't want to talk to us when the weather is nice, and neither group then knows how to contact the other when times are bad.

Best bet? Find out who your local SEC/DEC/EC or RACES EC is for your area, and talk to them when you DON'T need them

Bucks RACES is at
http://www.mmrdigital.com/races.html
General PA ARES/RACES is at:
http://www.qsl.net/pa~ares~races/

BTW the difference between ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) is complex and legal - and in many areas the folks "dual hat". In general - RACES works with Government Agenices, and can ONLY be activated by the President, or a designated agent (Usually a SEMO/FEMA type) and are limited in drill time and the like, but RACES is actualy part of Federal Law. ARES works with NGOs, but is more than happy to work with Governmental groups (MOST ARES teams anyway) when RACES is not activated (RACES is VERY rarely activated - in fact I've seen it done once). ARES is part of the ARRL

If you want more info on who to talk to, feel free to email me

BTW Mutual Aid from where I am would have had to go up 3 levels of command and back down, but like I said, I could have dug up a couple of crews for you - Heck, we sent people up to the Pt Jervis area, and they were surplus, so a detour down to Bucks would not have been too bad