By Daily Press staff
The official honoring tonight of a volunteer who contributes his time in responding to disasters in the Malibu area will show that character does count for something.
A surprise awaits an undisclosed volunteer member of Disaster Communications Services (DCS) District 22 — “A Character of Volunteerism Award” for lifetime community service presented by Michael Josephson of “Character Counts!” fame. Josephson will first speak to a welcoming audience of amateur radio operators based at Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff Station, their families and other community volunteers on “The Character of Volunteerism” tonight, six days before the start of “National Character Counts Week.”
The new award will honor one of the more than 300 amateur radio operators from DCS District 22 who donate their time and equipment at no cost to the taxpayers via the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. Those volunteers put in approximately 18,000 hours each year, equivalent to more than $225,000 in service.
Best known for his daily radio program, Character Counts!, Josephson is founder and president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. He is based in Los Angeles and active nationally with the Character Counts! youth-education initiative. His radio program airs on CBS’s KNX-1070 in Southern California and on stations all over the country, as well as worldwide on American Forces Radio.
Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff Station administers DCS District 22’s volunteer amateur radio operator activities, ranging from disaster communications support to community service at major city and county parades, fairs, races, bike-a-thons and other athletic events. Training and readiness programs include weekly radio drills and exercises, regular equipment checks and maintenance and actual deployment on major departmental operations, like when DCS-22 was activated to provide support during the Chatsworth fire.
The Smothers Theater from Pepperdine University was secured for the free event. DCS-22 invites all local volunteer groups and their families to attend the ceremony, beginning at 7 p.m.
All cities in LA County have chosen amateur radio as their back-up system for government communications, which can become difficult or nonexistent during and immediately after disasters, such as Katrina in the Gulf cities and major earthquakes and fires in Southern California. Amateur radio operators provide auxiliary communications between county and city governments and between agencies such as fire and police departments, as well as between any other disaster agencies not connected by radio or telephone. SMC presents its musicians
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 11, 2005. Read the original PDF.