Copy So Far and so it continues

[rustynswrail]

I know I have commented on the use of the phrase, "copy so far" during RFS overs. But this one seems to be abusing the issue, I will not identify the brigade but it went something like this;

"Firecom, Smithville 1."

"Smithville 1 this is Firecom go ahead."

"Smithville 1, Smith St is closed, copy so far?"

I mean really? Any comms operator worth his salt should be able to record less than half a dozen words at worse, or at best remember them verbatim.

I don't know if RFS has communications training for ground staff, but surely this is not productive use of airtime?

As I have stated in previous posts this is not a shot at RFS or its members per se, it is, as a previous professional emergency services operator seemingly bad practise. I will of course stand corrected if it is the way ground staff are taught.

R

[Garry]

my pet peeve

[Longreach]

Hi all,

Yes they do and its taught to everyone in Basic Firefighter. Yes its a pet peeve of mine too i allow it to go around 20 seconds or so and then do the copy so far. I am aware that they do write stuff down so you have to be considerate but the BS that goes on in other areas is OTT. for the record ive done both sides of comms.
It is allowed to go on stupidly, why i have no idea.
Cheers
Matt

[Bigfella237]

I think a major part of the problem is that it takes two generations for anything in the RFS to change.

Let's face it, very little is actually 'learned' in BF, the course is basically designed so nobody ever fails it, I reckon I could've slept through the whole thing and still passed the test! Most people learn by the training they receive at the brigade level and by observing what goes on when "on the job", unfortunately this means the next generation is being trained by the last generation, most of whom aren't up to speed with the latest techniques and are too set in their ways to adopt same anyway.

Furthermore, I've found there is actually peer pressure for new volunteers to adopt the old (incorrect) practices. I trained RFS Cadets for years, by the time they were ready to move up to seniors they were all proficient in proper radio-speak, we made sure of it, but six months into the senior brigade we found they'd been chastised for NOT saying things like "copy so far" every third word and had taken up all the bad habits we'd tried so hard to keep them away from.

I'd have to say that being 'resistant to change' is my pet peeve with the RFS, at the brigade level anyway, don't get me started on those further up the food chain!

Andrew

[JAFO]

While in the Army Reserves I was trained up as a Comm's Operator, during my 9 years playing within Armoured Corps I was part of net control for some large operational radio nets.

In 2000 I transferred over to the RAAF Active Reserves, and during my thase 2 basic airman recruit course I sustained an ankle injury during day3 of the 27 day course . . . should had been sent home, but after the instructors reviewed my Army Reserves Training History, they recommended to the medical officer that I be put on restricted duties for the remainder of the course - no GP Boots, no marching, no running eassssyyyyyyy times.

One night towards the end course we went field doing our airfield defense exercise, day 2 in I was put in the Radio Hut, and was the the net controller for all 6 Recruit Flights, 5 of which were Permanent Air Force Recruits.

Anyway, there was one Permanent Recruit, spent most of her teenage life as a RAAF Cadet, thought she knew everything and thought her shit did not stink, well in the early morning hours of day 3 we got a full on assault by the base defense guards, the radio light up with contact reports all around our defense area. After about 5min of intense radio traffic, this call comes over:

0A this is A3 Siitrep over

I reply - A3 this is 0A pass your Sitrep over

A3 Sitrep over

A3 this is 0A pass your sitrep over

This is A3 Sunray, I'm requesting a sitrep from you over

A3 this is 0A, net control does not give Sitreps to callsigns during active contacts, restrict your radio traffic to operational needs, 0A out.

With that I can hear a laughter behind me, and the Airfield Defense Sargent Instructor is laughing his head off, and then he laughs oh her she comes, and she's storming up from her weapons pit to the radio hut.

She barges in, screems at me that when someone requests a sitrep I have to pass one to them, I polity tell her net control does not pass sitreps to callsigns on it's net, that net callsign under the net controller passes them to net control . . . that being me.

she then screams to me I'm just a Reservist and have no idea what I'm talking about, with that the Sargent pulls her up, and starts to tell her my pass Army Service & Rank, and my pass army employment and radio qualifications and then asks me what was the largest net I had controlled - 68 callsigns I replied. With that the Sargent turns to her and tells her to get out of my Radio Room, while his finger was on his PTT of his radio.

Didn't hear one more TX from A3 Sunray during the remaining 2 days

[Longreach]

Hi all,
While BF dont seem to teach much, and isnt the new BF course so much better, for most its all they get. Really to get further on in comms maybe do CCA or something like that to help out. But in reality that's all they get. The comms brief in the BF manual is that out of date its not funny, pics of MCS2000's don't cut it for me. The BS that goes with it is exactly that.
But anyway
Cheerrs
Matt

[rustynswrail]

Something different, "Roger so far." I suppose it is a variation on the annoying "Copy so far."

R

[Wonky]

Are you rogering me?

[Bigfella237]

The ironic part of all this is that "copy so far" is supposed to be a response to the phrase "more to follow, over", not a bloody question!