Radio's on a Ride-A-Long

[explorer7550]

Does your department give you a radio for a Ride-A-Long? Because with my department they will usually issue us a radio. Except there are a few CSO's (community service officer) who will not give explorer's a radio because they believe that we don't need them. Does your department issue you a radio on a Ride-A-Long and do you think explorer's need radio's?

[nadler20]

We have designated cadet radios we use for RALs. No CSOs to mess. Maybe not all explorers, but where I'm at we need them. We do a lot more than the average explorer post as we are not entirely bound by Learning for Life's/Boyscout's guidelines.

[HailStorm]

We can check them out from the VIPS office if necessary, either for a detail or a ride.
I do not see the need for one on a ride, but *shrug* to each their own.

[explorer7550]

Well I am not sure. I have mixed feelings.

[Drummadude12]

I probably could drop by the communications center and get one before a ride, but I don't. There has never been a time when I am not in the car or next to an officer (the one that I'm with or another) outside of the car.

Most of the time during normal explorer details, we don't have enough radios for everyone, so I've gotten used to not carrying one.

The only time I have one for sure is working school football and basketball games, where I use a school police radio (better than explorer radios).

Most police cars are outfitted with radios as are the officers, so it's not necessary for an explorer to have one.

If you do have access to one, I have no problem. I rode along the night of July 3rd and we ate dinner at the local festival. I was walking around with a few officers, digesting a delicious beef brisket sandwich, when I joined the other officers in running to the car.
I was with my post's assistant advisor and the head advisor was in a foot pursuit. Even while running lights and siren, I still had no idea of what was up, until 10 minutes later when we got called off. A radio would have been nice, but not necessary.

[511R]

Yes, our Cadets carry radios.

[Nawkternal]

Radios are the most important tool on the belt. I use it for ride-alongs incase the doo-doo hits the fan but mostly I use it to hear whats going on around town and what calls my officer that im riding with are assigned, so im not clueless of what we are doing next.

[dangerstayback]

Back in my explorer days we weren't so lucky to get radios except when we had a special detail.

[superkoopa]

Yes, we must have a radio on every ride along.

[Carl_71]

Yes, we must have a radio on every ride along.

Same in our post. Like Nawkternal said, its the most important tool.

[C-14]

At our post it is an option we check them out from our sargeant. However, we can buy and use our own.