What is ARES

1
What is ARES?

• Developed by Bryce Rumery, K1GAX
• Maine ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

2
What is ARES?

• ARES is the Amateur Radio Emergency Service

3
What is ARES?

• Background
• Throughout our history, we amateurs have
  established a reputation for public service
  communications
• Is of the greatest importance to our continued
  occupation of our allocated frequencies

4
What is ARES?

• Part 97 states the first principle under Basis
  and Purpose of the Amateur Radio Service is
• Recognition and enhancement of the value of the
  amateur service to the public as a voluntary
  non-commercial communication service,
  particularly with respect to providing emergency
  communications.

5
What is ARES?

• At first, this service was rendered spontaneously
  and on an individual basis
• As time progressed, the need for and value of
  organization became evident
• The Amateur Radio Emergency Service was
  established by the American Radio Relay League
  (ARRL) in 1935

6
What is ARES?

• The Basics of ARES
• ARES consists of about 35,000 licensed amateurs
• Voluntarily registered their qualifications and
  equipment for communications duty in the public
  service when disaster strikes
• Every licensed amateur is eligible for membership
  in the ARES

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What is ARES?

• The Basics of ARES
• The only national qualification, other than
  possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a
  sincere desire to serve
• The possession of emergency-powered equipment is
  desirable, but is not a requirement for
  membership

8
What is ARES?

• The Basics of ARES
• What does ARES do?
• Provides supplemental, backup communications to
  public service and disaster relief agencies when
  normal means of communications are overloaded or
  unavailable
• Provides communications for planned public
  service events throughout the year

9
What is ARES?

• The ARES Organization
• There are four levels of the ARES organization
• National
• Section
• District
• Local

10
What is ARES?

• National Level
• National emergency coordination at ARRL
  Headquarters is under the supervision of the ARRL
  Field Services Manager
• responsible for advising all ARES officials
  regarding their problems, maintaining contact
  with federal government and other national
  officials concerned with amateur emergency
  communications potential, and in general with
  carrying out the ARRLs policies regarding
  emergency communications.

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What is ARES?

• Section Level (Maine Section)
• Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) is appointed
  by the Section Manager (SM)
• Works under the Section Managers supervision
• The SM delegates to the SEC the administration of
  the section emergency plan and the authority to
  appoint District and local Emergency Coordinators
  (EC)

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What is ARES?

• District Level
• SECs have the option of grouping their EC
  jurisdictions into logical units or districts
  and appointing a District EC to coordinate the
  activities of the local ECs in the district

13
What is ARES?

• Maine has Four Districts
• District One (Cumberland, Oxford, Sagadahoc and
  York Counties)
• District Two (Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec
  and Lincoln Counties)
• District Three (Hancock, Knox, Waldo and
  Washington Counties)
• District Four (Aroostock, Penobscot, Piscataquis
  and Somerset Counties)

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What is ARES?

• Local Level (County)
• The local level where most of the real emergency
  organizing gets accomplished
• The local level is where most emergencies occur
• The local level is where ARES leaders make direct
  contact with the ARES members/volunteers and with
  officials of the agencies to be served

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What is ARES?

• Local Level (County)
• At the local level, the ARES leader is the County
  Emergency Coordinator (EC)
• The County EC is appointed by the SEC, usually on
  the recommendation of the DEC
• The County EC is responsible for organizing,
  coordinating and executing ARES activities in
  their county

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What is ARES?

• Local Level (County)
• The County EC may appoint Assistant Emergency
  Coordinators (AEC)
• AECs provide assistance to the County EC in
  various areas of expertise
• The County EC may have as many AECs as they deem
  necessary

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What is ARES?

• Local Level (County)
• The EC and AECs, with the EC as chairman,
  constitute the local ARES planning committee and
  they meet together from time to time to discuss
  problems and plan projects to keep the ARES group
  active and well-trained

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What is ARES?

• Membership and Appointment Requirements
• SEC, DEC and County ECs
• Must be a full member of the ARRL
• Must be comply with all requirements for the
  position set forth by the ARRL, the Section
  Manager and the Section Emergency Coordinator

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What is ARES?

• Membership and Appointment Requirements
• AECs
• Need not be an ARRL member
• Must be registered with the local ARES
  organization
• Must be comply with all requirements for the
  position set forth by the County EC

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What is ARES?

• Membership and Appointment Requirements
• ARES Members
• Need not be an ARRL member
• Must be registered with the local ARES
  organization
• Must be willing to participate in ARES activities
• Must be willing to obtain training as required by
  the ARES organization and served agencies
• The possession of emergency-powered equipment is
  desirable, but is not a requirement for membership

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What is ARES?

• How to Join ARES
• Contact your County EC
• Go to the Maine ARES web site for information on
  County ECs
• http//www.maineares.org
• Obtain an ARES registration form
• Can be downloaded from the Maine ARES web site
• Fill out the form
• Return the form to your County EC

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What is ARES?

• We dont know you are willing to participate if
  you dont tell us!

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What is ARES?

• How to participate in ARES
• Register with your County ARES organization
• Locate and participate in your local ARES Net
• Information can be found on the Maine ARES web
  site
• Participate in ARES activities
• Meetings
• Training sessions
• Drills
• Exercises
• Public Service events
• Actual disasters

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What is ARES?

• How to participate in ARES
• Prepare for a disaster
• Get emergency communications training before a
  disaster occurs
• Prepare a Ready Kit
• All the things you will need to communicate with
  during a disaster
• All the things you will need to support yourself
  during an ARES deployment

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• ARES needs your help!
• Become a part of Amateur Radio Emergency
  Communications
• Join ARES!

Presented by Maine ARES