Education & Training NH ARES Provides amateur radio emergency services to our client agencies, as one team, trained, experienced and prepared to serve during a communications emergency.

New to NH-ARES?

If you’re a new member or thinking about becoming one, you’d probably like to know where to get started. Some new members want to become Active Members and get really involved, others just want to be Reserve Members so they can be of some assistance when the “big one” hits. Either way, welcome!

Membership in ARES isn't a right – it is a privilege. Members must be team players, present themselves well, and be able to work effectively with agency staff. However, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, creed, or sexual orientation or in any other way that is contrary to law or ARRL policy. Membership is administered by the Emergency Coordinator (EC) for local members, and by the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) at the Section level. ARRL membership is not required except for appointed leadership positions.

Types of Membership

Reserve Members: If you plan to be a Reserve Member, we recommend familiarizing yourself with at least two documents and the NH-ARES website. Begin with the Section Emergency Communications Plan. It may seem like quite a lot to read, but you don’t have to memorize it – just learn what it contains. Print it out and keep it handy as a quick reference. Try to replace your copy with a fresh one at least once a year, as the plan is regularly revised. The second document, Expedient Training for Walk-In Volunteers, is an information-packed two-page quick read. Print this out and keep it handy as well.

Active Members: If your plan is to become an Active Member with all that it entails, download and carefully read the two documents listed above for starters. That will make you immediately more useful should your services be suddenly required. Then spend some time reviewing the resources available on our website. Next, have a conversation with your local ARES group’s Emergency Coordinator (EC) to match your skills and interests with the group’s needs. Chances are he or she will have a valuable job you can take on. Then, it’s time to gain new skills or update existing ones.

Training & Preparation

For all new Active Members, two courses will be required beginning January 1, 2009. For Reserve Members all training is optional, but you are encouraged to take what you can.

ARECC Level I - The first (and most important) course is the ARRL Emergency Communications Course (ARECC), Level I. It can be taken on-line on your own schedule. Yes, it costs a few dollars to take, ($45 for ARRL members) but it’s well worth it because it teaches all the basics in a fun and interactive format. The material is both interesting and useful. In addition to the on-line material, you will interact with a knowledgeable mentor via email, and their insights can be valuable. The ARRL operates this training program on a break-even basis, so the cost is as low as is possible. To keep it in perspective, the knowledge gained could help you save lives, possibly even those of friends and family.

ICS - The next course you need (and this one is paid for with tax dollars) is one that all police, firefighters, and emergency management staff must also take: IS-100, Basic Incident Command System, offered online by FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute. In a post – 9/11 world, FEMA requires all agencies to use the Incident Command System when dealing with a major emergency. For that reason, it is important that ARES members understand ICS. When we have to work alongside and interact with agencies, we’ll understand how the response is organized and be better able to move messages to and from the correct parties. In addition, many agencies now require that all internal and external staff and volunteers have this training.

Optional courses are available, and you are encouraged to take as many as you can. These include the ARECC Level II and III courses, and many advanced FEMA ICS and National Incident Command System (NIMS) courses. Some agencies also offer relevant training. Consider the Red Cross’s Introduction to Disasters and Basic First Aid, and National Weather Service Skywarn Weather Spotter training, among others. Visit our training links page for a sample.

NH-ARES On-Line Training tries to provide 10 brief, monthly, interactive sessions on a variety of topics using the Echolink system and our website. Visit the on-line training pages for more information and to download and play back previous sessions from the archives.

Participate in Drills

NH-ARES holds periodic state-wide and local drills to test both our skills and our communication plans. Not only do they serve an important purpose, they can be fun! The biggest drill of the year is the Simulated Emergency Test (SET) held each fall.

In addition to actual drills, ARES members often provide in public service communications for large and small public events. The skills and methods used for those events provide an experience very similar to a real emergency. Some of the larger events, such as the Reach the Beach Relay Race held every September, can very closely simulate certain conditions encountered during an emergency operation.

Build Your Go-Kit

Emergencies don’t wait for you to be ready, so it’s up to you to prepare well ahead of time. Training is a big part of preparation, but getting your gear ready is just as important. Most of us have at least one kit that lets us operate in the field for up to 72 hours without outside support. That means food, water, personal needs, and often shelter. Many of us create modular kits so that we are able to take only what we’ll need. For suggestions on what to put in your go-kit, visit KB1DIG’s Go-Kit page. Don’t forget to keep your kit’s contents fresh and up to date.

Unable to Respond to the Field?

Not everyone is able to handle field communications deployments. That’s not a problem because in some situations we will need almost as many hams working from their home stations as we do in the field. They do jobs like net control, net liaison, net manager, Winlink operations, logistics management, and more. You might even be able to help just by reporting on conditions in your neighborhood. Talk to your EC about “stay at home” job opportunities. Emergency power is a big plus.

Now, click here to go to the NH-ARES Member Application.

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Last Modified: 11/29/2008 13:50:25