Radio's on a Ride-A-Long

[explorer7550 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Livin' the dream Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Explorer/CSO Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close explorer7550]

Well I am not sure. I have mixed feelings.

[Drummadude12 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 511R]

Yes, our Cadets carry radios.

[Nawkternal Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close dangerstayback]

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

[superkoopa Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close superkoopa]

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

[Carl_71 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 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 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close C-14]

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