Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ares)
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- Activities (meetings and nets)
- Drills and exercises
- Annual SET
- Served Agency Drills
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
The Amateurs CodeIt is also extremely important to remember “The Amateurs Code” published by the ARRL in their handbook. Specifically, please note the part on “Balanced”: The Radio Amateur is: CONSIDERATE...never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others. LOYAL...offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally. PROGRESSIVE...with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach. FRIENDLY...slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit. BALANCED...radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community. PATRIOTIC...station and skill always ready for service to country and community.
Regular membership meetings/training sessions are held 3 times per year. These session dates, times and training topics are discussed on our weekly nets, via email and the CT ARES Region 2 website (www.ctaresregion2.org). We will make attempts to hold our thee Regional meetings in a location that is central to the Region so as to not unfairly inconvenience any of our members who live on the fringes of the Region.
Region 2 operates a weekly ARES Net on Monday evenings at 7:45 pm. Appendix I lists several Region 2 nets that are known to be active. Drills and exercisesWhen an emergency situation arises, it is too late to begin thinking about how our organization will react. Because of this we train, plan and run routine exercises. It is important to note that participation in public service events is also very important in this endeavor. Not only does this provide the obvious public service, but also it allows us to work together as a team and test our effectiveness.
Once a year, our section carries out a Simulated Emergency Test (SET). This event is usually carried out nationally, but not necessarily on the same day from section to section. This activity is used to show how members react to real situations and how effectively we, as an organization, handle such situations. The test itself is rather straightforward. A scenario is developed (weather related, industrial accident, etc.), and as the drill progresses, new announcements and bulletins released and we as a team react accordingly. After this exercise (like any drill in which we are involved) we debrief ourselves on what worked, what didn’t work, and what we can do to improve our effectiveness.
These happen usually two or three times a year. We may be active during a local, state or federal exercise with any of our served agencies. These are run in much the same manner as the annual SET. Remember, if you are a CT ARES member, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable and available to support the organization and its mission! Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)Understanding our Memoranda of Understanding (From the ARRL) The premier justification for continued access to our piece of the spectrum pie is, and always will be, public service. A major part of our public service activity is conducted in the context of the League's formal agreements with "heavy hitters" of the emergency management community. These include, not in order of importance, the American Red Cross, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, the National Communications System, the Salvation Army, and REACT. Let's take a brief look at each of these agencies, and our "method of operation" under each of our national-level formal agreements, a.k.a. Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). First, however, a few basics: An MOU provides a framework for cooperation and coordination with agencies to which we, as radio amateurs, provide communication services. At the national level, this means Headquarters-to-Headquarters contact periodically, for exchanging news, views, information, and points of contact in the field. For example, ARRL staff attends the annual Red Cross partnership meeting, along with representatives from other agencies and organizations (from the government and non-government, private and commercial sectors) that have MOUs with the congressionally-chartered organization. The idea is to get to know one another on a face-to-face basis, so that when the detritus hits the fan, you know who to call and whom you can count on. At the local level, an MOU serves two purposes. First, it’s a door opener. A new ARES group is more likely to be heard and taken seriously by a local NWS office when accompanied by the agreement document signed by the head of the agency. The served agency says, in effect, we have examined this organization of radio amateurs and have found them to be trustworthy and able to render substantial and needed services for our field operations in times of emergency. The agency head is telling its field offices, "Go get 'em--they are good for us." Secondly, once your foot is in the door, the provisions of the MOU document spell out the capabilities and organization of the servers (us), the organization and needs of the served agency (them), and the methods of operation. These are broad guidelines that lead to the establishment of a local memorandum of understanding or similar document that sets forth the detailed operational plans and policies to be subscribed to by both parties during drills, and actual events. The most important step here is to ensure that both parties to the local agreement have a realistic assessment of the resources brought to the table by the servers, and the needs of the served. Fanciful expectations are the largest pitfalls leading to breaches of trust and a breakdown of relations, with each party going away unhappy and demoralized. Rifts develop and once in place, become recalcitrant. What's worse, is that the public, the "clientele" of both Amateur Radio and the agency, is not served. The public has the true need. More information on ARRL MOU’s is available on their website at the following link:
The section that follows will show national MOU’s. This does not include local or regional links. This list is by no means complete. There may be more organizations not listed on the ARRL or our list here. There are links to the following organizations in which we have an MOU on the national level: American Red Cross National Weather Service Department of Homeland Security -- Citizen Corps (FEMA) Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International National Communications System National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers, Inc. Salvation Army Society of Broadcast Engineers Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. Radio Emergency Associated Communication Teams Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Directory: pdfs pdfs -> The petition and case system pdfs -> Sal men’s 12 Step Recovery Meeting for Sexual Addiction Introduction pdfs -> What is ascaa? pdfs -> Tel./Fax No. 2287 3696 pdfs -> 1–xx. The Redevelopment of a Warm Core Structure in Erin: a case of Inland Tropical Storm Formation pdfs -> Policies and Procedures 40 – Eligibility pdfs -> Policies and Procedures 40 – Eligibility pdfs -> Rev. 10 Sep 2008 Ozark Hispanic Studies League pdfs -> Handbook of exercises for transportation sector personnel Download 283.26 Kb. Share with your friends:
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