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ARES - RACES
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| ARES
- Amateur Radio Emergency Service |
| When emergency
agencies are required in a zone of disaster, their regular means of
communications can be affected by the same disruptive causes as others. That creates a need for a
supplemental or back-up communications system, one that comes complete
with equipment and trained operators who are licensed by the United States
government, all at no cost to the public or the agency involved. In fact, these men and
women are volunteers, members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) sponsored by the ARRL. |
| While the
primary activity of ARES is to provide emergency communications during
disasters, ARES also provides essential communications for public
events including parades, marathons, walkathons, bicycle tours, and
other large events where swift, reliable communications can protect and
improve the safety of the general public. To achieve these goals, ARES
provides amateur radio operators with training in emergency
communications, directed net procedures and on-air discipline, formal
message handling, and emergency preparedness. |
| The Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a part of the Amateur Radio Relay
League (ARRL) Field Organization. ARES consists of licensed amateurs
who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for
communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. |
| Amateur Radio
is in need of persons who recognize how crucial our back-up service is
to those agencies that respond in times of emergency and to the members
of the public we serve. New volunteers are needed for this important
community resource. As
a licensed ham, you too are encouraged to consider helping in this
vital service and give something back to a hobby/service that we all
love. |
| The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)consists
of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their
qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public
service when disaster strikes. Every licensed
amateur, regardless of membership in ARRLor
any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in
the ARES. The only qualification,
other than possession of an Amateur
Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve. Because ARES is an amateur service, only
amateurs are eligible for ARES Registration. The
possession of emergency-powered equipment is
desirable, but is not a requirement for membership. |
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|
What
do Amateur Radio operators do during and after disasters?
|
| Amateur
Radio operators set up and operate
organized communication networks locally
for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial
communication for private citizens affected by the disaster. Amateur
Radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that
damage regular lines of communications due to power outages and
destruction of telephone, cellular and other infrastructure-dependent
systems. |
| How
do Amateur Radio operators help local officials? |
| Many radio amateurs are active as communications
volunteers with local public safety organizations. In addition, in some
disasters, radio frequencies are not coordinated among relief officials
and Amateur Radio operators step in to coordinate communication when
radio towers and other elements in the communications infrastructure
are damaged. |
|
What
are the major Amateur Radio emergency organizations?
|
| Amateur
Radio operators have informal and formal groups to coordinate
communication during emergencies. At the local level, hams may
participate in local emergency organizations, or organize local "traffic nets"
using VHF (very high frequencies) and UHF (ultra high frequencies). At
the state level, hams are often involved with state emergency
management operations. In addition, hams operate at the national level
through the Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service(RACES),
which is coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and through the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES),
which is coordinated through the American Radio Relay League and its field volunteers. In addition, addition,
many hams are involved in Skywarn, operating under the National Weather Service. |
|
What are some examples of emergencies involving
Amateur Radio?
|
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita -- 2005
- Hurricanes Charlie,
Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in Florida -- 2004
- Severe weather in
Virginia -- May 2004
- Tornadoes in Illinois
-- April 2004
- Amtrak train accident
in Mississippi -- April 2004
- Earthquake in Central
California -- December 2003
- Hurricane Isabel --
September 2003
- Northeast blackout --
August 2003
- Midwest tornadoes --
May 2003
- Shuttle Columbia
recovery effort -- February 2003
- Wildfires in Colorado
-- June 2002
- Tornado in Maryland --
April 2002
- Flooding in Kentucky
-- March 2002
- World Trade Center and
Pentagon terrorist attacks -- September 2001
- Flooding in Texas and
Louisiana (Storm Allison) -- June 2001
- Earthquake in India --
January 2001
- Earthquake in El
Salvador -- January 2001
|
- Ice storms in
Southwest -- December 2000
- Tornado in Alabama --
December 2000
- Avalanche in Alaska --
March 2000
- Fires in Los Alamos,
New Mexico -- May 2000
- Hurricane Floyd --
September 1999
- Tornadoes in Oklahoma
and Kansas -- May 1999
- Colombian Earthquake
-- January 1999
- Tornadoes in Arkansas
and Tennessee -- January 1999
- Hurricane Mitch in
Central America -- November 1998
- Flooding in Texas --
October 1998
- Hurricane Georges --
September 1998
- Tornadoes in Florida
-- February 1998
- "500-Year Flood,"
Grand Forks, N.D., and East Grand Forks, Minn. - April 1997
- Western U.S. floods -
January 1997
- Hurricane Fran -
September 1996
- TWA plane crash - July
1996
- Oklahoma City Bombing
- April 1995
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Emergency Communications Training — What
Is It and Why Should I Take It?
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| Emergency
Communications,
training consists of a series of courses designed for amateur communicators. After
successful completion of these courses, the participant can be
credentialed in Amateur Radio emergency communications. Credentialing
is a process used to demonstrate education, basic knowledge,
understanding and skill in a subject area. |
| With
the exception of those amateurs registered with RACES
organizations or served agencies such as the Red Cross,
amateur emergency communicators have not been expected to have formal
training (Red Cross communications training usually dealt with the use
of their message forms). Many amateurs thought that the basic skills
they learned through everyday communications, contesting and
public service
events included everything they needed
to be an effective emergency communicator. This may have been the case
in the past, but it left a very poor image of Amateur Radio with our
served agencies. |
|
Amateur Does Not Mean “Not an
Expert”
|
| The world expects those who present themselves as
an expert or capable of doing a certain job task to be competent in
that task. For instance, if a volunteer fireman comes to your aid, you
would expect that person to be knowledgeable in fire fighting and
rescue skills and able to safely use his equipment. The firefighter
must participate in training and practice to be able to do the job and
be able to show proof of that training. We hold our volunteer
firefighters to a high standard. Why should we not also expect our
volunteer emergency communicators to meet designated standards? |
| |
| RACES
- Amateur Radio Emergency Service |
Founded in 1952, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a public service provided by a reserve (volunteer) communications group within government agencies in times of extraordinary need. During periods of RACES activation, certified unpaid personnel are called upon to perform many tasks for the government agencies they serve. Although the exact nature of each activation will be different, the common thread is communications.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides planning guidance and technical assistance for establishing a RACES organization at the state and local government level.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for the regulation of RACES operations.
RACES is administrated by a local, county, or state civil defense agency responsible for disaster services. This civil defense agency is typically an emergency services or emergency management organization, sometimes within another agency such as police or fire. RACES is a function of the agency's Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), sometimes known as DCS (Disaster Communications Service), ECS (Emergency Communications Service), ARPSC (Amateur Radio Public Service Corps), etc. Many ACS units identify themselves solely as RACES organizations, even though their communications functions and activities typically go beyond the restrictions of RACES operations. Other ACS units combine government RACES and non-government ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) activities and identify themselves as ARES/RACES organizations. Yet other ACS units who use amateur radio for emergency government communications identify themselves solely as ARES organizations, whether or not they activate under FCC RACES Rules.
The Amateur Radio Regulations, Part 97, Subpart E, §97.407, were created by the FCC to describe RACES operations in detail. Although no longer issued or renewable, RACES station licenses were issued in the past by the FCC to government agencies for RACES operations. The agencies may continue to conduct RACES operations without these licenses, using primary or club call signs.
ACS, in its RACES and other reserve emergency communications functions, provides a pool of emergency communications personnel that can be called upon in time of need. ACS/RACES units across the country prepare themselves for the inevitable day when they will be called upon. When a local, county, or state government agency activates its ACS unit, that unit will use its communications resources (RACES, if necessary) to meet whatever need that agency has.
Traditional RACES operations involve emergency message handling on Amateur Radio Service frequencies. These operations typically involve messages between critical locations such as hospitals, emergency services, emergency shelters, and any other locations where communication is needed. These communications are handled in any mode available, with 2 meters FM being the most prevalent.
During time of war, when the President exercises his War Emergency Powers, RACES might become the only communications allowed via amateur radio. Activating under the FCC's restrictive RACES Rules is not always necessary when using Amateur Radio Service frequencies for emergency communications. For example, ACS communicators may need to communicate with ARES or other radio amateurs who are not government-certified to operate in a RACES net. ACS personnel also might become involved in non-amateur public-safety or other government communications, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staffing, and emergency equipment repair.
Whatever need arises, trained ACS personnel are ready and prepared to help, via RACES or other means. ACS/RACES groups develop and maintain their communications ability by training throughout the year with special exercises and public-service events. When that fateful day occurs, ACS/RACES will be there to meet the challenge.
If you want to become an RACES member and to be able to participate in RACES and other government emergency communications activities, download and complete this RACES Registration. Note: The address must be your home address where you live, you cannot use a POB. Email the completed form and a copy of your ham license to:Stephanie.Porter@txdps.state.tx.us.
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