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AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY
SERVICE
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. Many hams are also involved in Skywarn, operating under the National Weather Service and provide emergency weather information to the NWS for analysis and dissemination to the public.
Is Amateur Radio recognized as a resource by national relief organizations?
Many national organizations have formal agreements with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other Amateur Radio groups including: Department of Homeland Security -- Citizen Corps
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Communications System
Salvation Army
National Weather Service
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials
What are some examples of emergencies involving Amateur Radio?
Haitian Earthquake response - 2010
Hurricane Ike - February tornado outbreak ---2008
Oregon Storms - 2007
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita --2005
Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in Florida -- 2004
Severe weather in Virginia -- Tornadoes in Illinois -- 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
World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks -- September 2001
Flooding in Texas and Louisiana (Storm Allison) -- June 2001
Fires in Los Alamos, New Mexico -- May 2000
Hurricane Floyd -- September 1999
Hurricane Mitch in Central America -- November 1998
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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ARES, RACES AND SKYWARN.
While the months of September through December are celebrations of the ARES program, we must identify other programs that involve the amateur citizen.
Each of the activities in the heading of this column have a role to play utilizing the Amateur Radio Operator. The first two are often combined under the leadership of an E.C. who is responsible for the training of each. The Skywarn program is a special training program using non-amateurs as well as amateur radio operators under the leadership of NOAA .
The big difference in these programs is that ARES is totally under the control of the amateur community and both RACES and SKYWARN are under special control of the amateur community by the government entities.
The E.C. is responsible for ARES and RACE training , usually it is exactly the same. The difference is that the ARES activity may be initiated by the EC where the RACES activity is to be started by a governmental agency in response to a civil emergency. This distinction while spelled out in Part 97 of the FCC Regulations is often ignored.
While the E.C. is responsible for the training of both ARES and RACES personnel , each individual is encouraged to study programs administered by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency.) These programs are free to individuals allowing study at a fundamental level and growth through advanced studies. Upon successful finish, the student is given a certificate indicating the accomplishment.
Skywarn, administered by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has a training program the develops through a series of steps over two levels of training. At the end of the training, the successful student is given both a certificate and a identification card. ARES, RACES and REACT members are encouraged to take advantage of this program so as to increase skills needed.
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