Emergency Communications

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Tri-County ARES, RACES, AuxCom SkyWarn    

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ARES, RACES, AuxComm

"We get so sophisticated and we have gotten so used to the reliability and resilience in our wireless and wired and our broadcast industry and all of our public safety communications, that we can never fathom that they’ll fail. They do. They have. They will. I think a strong Amateur Radio community [needs to be] plugged into these plans."

—Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator (2009-2017), 3 May 2011

Amateur Radio Included in FEMA Guide for National Emergency Preparedness

03/22/2023

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a final version (March 2023) of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance. The guidance, which provides a framework for communications resources within incident management, officially includes support from amateur radio operators. The expanded Communications Unit (COMU) structure now includes the Auxiliary Communicator (AUXC) role, which covers personnel from services that provide communications support to emergency management, public safety, and other government agencies. This includes amateur radio.

NIMS guides government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and other emergencies. “This is a major step in the recognition of the need and usefulness of amateur radio and other communications services in our national preparedness,” said Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, Director of Emergency Management for ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio®. “It also gives official guidance to pave the way for future training and education of volunteers in ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®),” Johnston added.

The NIMS ICT guide (PDF) is available at https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ict-functional-guidance.pdf.

ARES Membership Requirements

Every licensed amateur regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for membership in ARES.  Training may be required or desired to participate fully in ARES.  Please inquire at the local level for specific information.  Because ARES is an Amateur Radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable but is not a requirement for membership.

FEMA Training Courses for ARES®

 * ICS-100.b Introduction to Incident Command System (required)

 *ICS-200.b ICS for Single Incidents and Initial Action Incidents (required)

 *IS-700 NIMS: An Introduction (required)

 *IS-800 National Response Framework (required)

  IS-240.a Leadership & Influence

  IS-241.a Decision Making & Problem Solving

  IS-250a Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF-15) External Affairs

  IS-1a Emergency Manager, An Orientation to the Position

  IS-288 The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management

  IS-244.b Developing and Managing Volunteers

  IS-120.a An Introduction to Exercises

  IS-130 Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning

4 of these courses are requirements for ARES operators registering with local emergency management/public safety agencies.  Along with the basic ARRL EmComm course, they form the foundation for an educated, certified, trained corps of ARES volunteers prepared to serve as assets and not liabilities to their communities during disaster situations.

 ARES NET PREAMBLE & SCHEDULE