It takes a someone with a certain fortitude to climb 500-feet up a radio tower. That, combined with the knowledge and training, is just one of many strengths of the Telecommunications Systems Technician. And that’s Mervin Rudes.
Mervin joined Cal OES nine years ago after leaving the U.S. Air Force. He parlayed the skills he learned there into a rewarding career at Cal OES.
“The job is important because communications is everywhere,” Mervin says. “My responsibility is to make sure those communications are up and running and make the firefighters in the wildlands are able to talk to each other.”
This week, Cal OES welcomes you to learn more about Mervin and his important role on our Public Safety Communications team. The work he does for PSC and Cal OES ensures emergency radio systems are working, allowing first responders to communicate when lives and property at risk.
Mervin’s job takes him from the workshop in Sacramento to the snowy elevations of the Sierra, and down to the towers in Southern California’s deserts. It’s an adventurous job that gives him great satisfaction knowing his work translates to lives saved.