ARES Training

Weldon Mathews, K8NQEmergency Coordinator (EC)

forLicking County

ARES

CRES Meeting, Aug. 15, 2013

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 ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for membership in the 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 service, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership.

The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.

What is ARES?

ARES Manual, http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARES%20Manual.pdf

Purpose

The purpose of this website is to provide the basic information

needed by ARES® volunteers in Licking County, Ohio during

an emergency activation as well provide outsiders information

about this volunteer group.

This website defines the roles and responsibilities of FCC

licensed amateur radio operators volunteering for Emergency

Communications service in Licking County, Ohio. 

From LiCo ARES web site

Our favorite WX radar site for ARES is the Wundermap which you can view by clicking on the Weather Underground icon at top left of this page or here.  The link includes all the code for setting up standard options.  You may want to change some of the settings once the window launches. This service is self updating and shows watch boxes, storm tracks, and other information. 

Although the 10TV Doppler link has the best potential resolution for Licking County, the radar operators at station control the zoom and unless there is a tornado in Licking County it is likely to be on a wide zoom not showing severe weather approaching.

From LiCo ARES web site

The Amateur Radio Operator's Role in Emergency Communications

Public service has been a traditional component of the Amateur Radio service since 1913.  Amateurs at the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University, in conjunction with other individual operators in and around the region, successfully bridged the communications gap created by a severe windstorm in the Midwest.  At that time, disaster support work was not very organized and was performed spontaneously at best. Today that scenario has transformed into one of a structured organization with mutual support from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and National Traffic System (NTS). 

Today's ARES® members provide needed communications assistance to their communities during a natural or other disaster, but it doesn't stop there.  They also may be engaged for public service events - parades, marathons, etc.

From LiCo ARES web site

National Weather Service

• Relies on ham radio operators • SKYWARN program

Ground level reports

• Radar can’t see everything• Get Weather-Alert Radio !!!

ARES Activities June 29-30, 2012

• At 3:05 STS Watch issued• At 4:50 STS Warning Issued• Severe Weather Net activated • By 5:30 extensive rpts of trees down,

power outages, and people isolated• ARES had operators at

– Licking County EMA/EOC-Sheriff’s dispatch– Red Cross

• ~ 50 local hams supported efforts• ~ all without commercial power!

K8NQ, 2012

FEMA advises…

• In a crisis, you should plan to be totally on your own for at least 3 days (http://www.ready.gov)

• How will you communicate?

http://www.nara.eqth.info/ [K8NQ, 2013]

http://www.cooken.org/ [K8NQ, 2013]

Working with Public Officials“Public service communications performed by ARES members are based on a number of requirements. Specifically, we must be accepted by public-safety officials. Once accepted, our continued ability to contribute in times of disaster is based on the efficiency and effectiveness of our performance. While acceptance, image, efficiency and effectiveness are all important to the ongoing working relationships between amateurs and officials, it is the initial acceptance that is often difficult to achieve.”

“How Amateur Radio volunteers are accepted depends on their establishing a track record of competent performance in important activities. This begins with convincing officials that amateurs offer a cost-effective (otherwise known as free) substitute for functions previously paid for by the taxpayer. Local radio amateurs also must demonstrate that they are organized, disciplined and reliable, and have a sincere interest in public service.”

ARES Manual, http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARES%20Manual.pdf

Training Opportunities

• Operation of your radio equipment.

• Ohio ARES website.

• ARRL website information.

• NWS SKYWARN Spotter Training.

• NIMS/ICS training , free.

• ARRL Online Courses.• Intro to EmCom (EC-001), • $85 or $50 for ARRL member• Requires IS-100.b and IS-700.

Suggested NIMS/ISP Courses

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

IS-200.b ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

IS-700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction

IS-800.b National Response Framework, An Introduction

and many others

IS-100.b: Introduction to Incident CommandSystem, I-100

As an introduction to the Incident CommandSystem (ICS), this course provides thefoundation for higher level ICS training.

This course describes the history, features andprinciples, and organizational structure of theIncident Command System.

It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). (0.3 CEUs)

IS-200.b: ICS for Single Resource and InitialAction Incidents

This course is designed to enable personnel tooperate efficiently during an incident or eventwithin the Incident Command System (ICS).

ICS-200 provides training on and resources forpersonnel who are likely to assume asupervisory position within the ICS.(0.3 CEUs)

IS-700.a: National Incident ManagementSystem (NIMS), an Introduction

This course introduces and overviews theNational Incident Management System (NIMS).

NIMS provide a consistent nationwide templateto enable all government, private-sector, andnongovernment organization to work togetherduring domestic incidents. (0.4 CEUs)

IS- 800.b: National Response Framework, anIntroductionThis course introduces participants to theconcepts and principles for the NationalResponse Framework.

This course is intended for government executives, private- sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) leaders, and emergency management practitioners. This includes senior elected and appointed leaders, such as Federal department or agency heads, State Governors, mayors, tribal leaders, and city or county officials- those who have a responsibility to provide for effective response.(0.9 CEUs)

Thank you for your attention. With thanks to the sources of some of these slides, and apologiesfor mistakes introduced.

Any questions?

Suggested reading for Software Defined Radios:

Flexradio.com ->News->Publications -> four QEX articles By Gerald Youngblood about SDR, 2002-3

Wikipedia: Software Defined Radio Cognitive Radio Software Defined Antennas FPGA