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Amateur Radio Emergency Service |
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Non-Governmental Agencies
| Contact Information Database -- Each OES Operator must,
under this Method, have immediate access to a Palm®-OS-based database of structure and contact information
for each major, relevant Non-Governmental Agency, including: 1 Amateur Radio Emergency Service -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public interest when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in the ARES. The only qualification, other than possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve. Because ARES is an amateur service, only amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership. a There are three levels of ARES organization--section, district and local. At the section level, the Section Emergency Coordinator is appointed by the Section Manager (who is elected by the ARRL members in his section) and works under his supervision. In most sections, the SM delegates to the SEC the administration of the section emergency plan and the authority to appoint district and local ECs. It is at the local level where most of the organization and operation is effected, because this is the level at which most emergencies occur and the level at which ARES leadership makes direct contact with the ARES member-volunteers and with officials of the agencies to be served. The local EC is therefore the key contact in the ARES. The EC is appointed by the SEC, usually on the recommendation of the district EC (DEC). Depending on how the SEC has set up the section for administrative purposes, the EC may have jurisdiction over a small community or a large city, an entire county or even a group of counties. Whatever jurisdiction is assigned, the EC is in charge of all ARES activities in his area, not just one interest group, one agency, one club or one band. b In large sections, the SECs have the option of grouping their EC jurisdictions into "districts" and appointing a district EC to coordinate the activities of the local ECs. In some cases, the districts may conform to the boundaries of governmental planning or emergency-operations districts, while in others they are simply based on repeater coverage or geographical boundaries. Special-interest groups are headed up by "assistant emergency coordinators," designated by the EC to supervise activities of groups operating in certain bands, especially those groups which play an important role at the local level, but they may be designated in any manner the EC deems appropriate. These assistants, with the EC as chairman, constitute the local ARES "planning committee" and they meet together to discuss problems and plan projects to keep the ARES group active and well-trained. There are any number of different situations and circumstances that might confront an EC, and his ARES unit should be organized in anticipation of them. There is no specific point at which organization ceases and operation commences. Both phases must be concurrent because a living organization is a changing one, and the operations of a changing organization must change with the organization. c Reference -- ARES Field Resources Manual 2 Amateur Radio Mutual Assistance Team -- The ARESMAT concept recognizes that a neighboring section's ARES resources can be quickly overwhelmed in a large-scale disaster. ARES members in the affected areas may be preoccupied with mitigation of their own personal situations and therefore not be able to respond in local ARES operations. Accordingly, communications support must come from ARES personnel outside the affected areas. This is when help may be requested from neighboring sections' ARESMAT teams. To effect inter-sectional support mechanisms, each Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) should consider adopting the following principles in their ARES planning: Pre-disaster planning with other sections in the Division, and adjoining sections outside the Division. Planning should be conducted through written memoranda and in-person at conventions and director-called cabinet meetings. An ARESMAT inter-sectional emergency response plan should be drafted. Development of a roster of ARESMAT members able, willing and trained to travel to neighboring sections to provide communication support inside the disaster area. Inter-sectional communication/coordination during and immediately following the onslaught of the disaster. Post-event evaluation and subsequent revision/updating of the inter-sectional emergency response plan. Reference -- http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/pscm/sec1-ch3.html 3 Amateur Radio Disaster Service -- Since the beginning of radio, have been involved in sending life saving information in and out of disaster areas. During and after Earthquakes, Floods, Hurricanes and Tornadoes, Hams have been there to assist local, state and federal agencies and relief organizations such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. By way of the National Traffic System, (NTS) they send health and welfare messages to family members outside of a disaster areas to give information on loved ones. When telephones and cellular phone service is interrupted by a disaster, Hams have the ability and means to get the messages in and out when needed. Reference -- http://www.ares.org 4 American Red Cross -- Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 67,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters. a Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." The Charter is not only a grant of power, but also an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to disaster victims, and to the people who generously support its work with their donations. Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, and health and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently. The Red Cross also feeds emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provides blood and blood products to disaster victims, and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources. b Reference -- http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/ 5 Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International -- APCO is a member driven association of communications professionals that provides leadership; influences public safety communications decisions of government and industry; promotes professional development; and, fosters the development and use of technology for the benefit of the public. APCO International is the world's oldest and largest not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. With more than 16,000 members around the world, APCO International exists to serve the people who manage, operate, maintain, and supply the communications systems used to safeguard the lives and property of citizens everywhere. Reference -- http://www.apcointl.org/ 6 National Disaster Medical System -- The National Disaster Medical System is a federally-coordinated initiative to augment the nation's emergency medical response capability. The overall purpose of NDMS is to establish a single national medical response capability for: a Assisting state and local authorities in dealing with the medical and health effects of major peacetime disasters; and b Providing support to the military and VA medical systems in caring for casualties evacuated back to the US from overseas armed conflicts. c NDMS has three major components: (1) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) and Clearing-Staging Units (CSUs) with necessary supplies and equipment which will be dispatched to a disaster site within the United States from the country's major metropolitan areas. DMATs/CSUs may also provide NDMS patient reception services at their home locations; (2) An evacuation capability for movement of patients from a disaster area to locations where definitive medical care can be provided; and (3) A voluntary hospital network which will provide definitive care. d Reference -- ARES Field Resources Manual 7 The National Association of Radio & Telecommunications Engineers, Inc. -- NARTE is a worldwide, non-profit, professional telecommunications association which certifies qualified engineers and technicians in the fields of Telecommunications, Electromagnetic Compatibility/Interference (EMC/EMI), Electrostatic Discharge control (ESD) and Wireless Systems Installation. NARTE also administers FCC Commercial Operator License Exams (see FCC Testing). Reference -- http://www.narte.org/ 8 National Traffic System -- The National Traffic System (now discredited by the ARRL, see above) is designed to meet two principal objectives: rapid movement of traffic from origin to destination, and training amateur operators to handle written traffic and participate in directed nets. NTS operates daily, and consists of four different net levels--Area, Region, Section, and Local--which operate in an orderly time sequence to effect a definite flow pattern for traffic from origin to destination. a When a disaster situation arises, NTS is capable of expanding its cyclic operation into complete or partial operation as needed. ECs in disaster areas determine the communications needs and make decisions regarding the disposition of local communications facilities, in coordination with agencies to be served. The SEC, after conferring with the affected DECs and ECs, makes his recommendations to the Section Traffic Manager and/or NTS net managers at section and/or region levels. The decision and resulting action to alert the NTS region management may be performed by any combination of these officials, depending upon the urgency of the situation. While the EC is, in effect, the manager of ARES nets operating at local levels, and therefore makes decisions regarding their activation, managers of NTS nets at local, section, region and area levels are directly responsible for activation of their nets in a disaster situation, at the behest of and on the recommendation of ARES or NTS officials at lower levels. b Reference -- ARES Field Resources Manual 9 National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster -- NVOAD coordinates planning efforts by many voluntary organizations responding to disaster. Member organizations provide more effective and less duplication in service by getting together before disasters strike. Once disasters occur, NVOAD or an affiliated state VOAD encourages members and other voluntary agencies to convene on site. This cooperative effort has proven to be the most effective way for a wide variety of volunteers and organizations to work together in a crisis. a NVOAD serves member organizations through: Communication - disseminating information through electronic mechanisms, its Newsletter, the directory, research and demonstration, case studies, and critique. Cooperation - creating a climate for cooperation at all levels (including grass roots) and providing information. Coordination - coordinating policy among member organizations and serving as a liaison, advocate, and national voice. Education - providing training and increasing awareness and preparedness in each organization. Leadership Development - giving volunteer leaders training and support so as to build effective state VOAD organizations. Mitigation - supporting the efforts of federal, state, and local agencies and governments and supporting appropriate legislation. Convening Mechanisms - putting on seminars, meetings, board meetings, regional conferences, training programs, and local conferences. Outreach - encouraging the formation of and giving guidance to state and regional voluntary organizations active in disaster relief. b Reference -- http://www.nvoad.org 10 Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams -- REACT's mission is to provide public safety communications to individuals, organizations, and government agencies to save lives, prevent injuries, and give assistance wherever and whenever needed, striving to establish a monitoring network of trained volunteer citizen-based communicators using any and all available means to deliver the message. Reference -- http://www.reactintl.org/ 11 Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network -- SATERN is a corps of Amateur Radio volunteers who have united themselves with the Disaster Services program of the Salvation Army. This group provides the Salvation Army with the nucleus of their communications support system in the event of an emergency. The Primary objectives of SATERN are: 1) To develop and maintain a corps of Amateur Radio operators, skilled in emergency trafficking and communications, to assist The Salvation Army during times of disaster. 2) Assist in training other Salvation Army personnel to access and use the resource of Amateur Radio for local, regional, national, and international disasters. 3) Development of training materials and exercises designed to enhance the use of Amateur Radio within the Salvation Army Disaster Services programs. Any licensed Amateur Radio Operator is eligible to serve as a volunteer member of the SATERN team. The only restriction on a potential volunteer is that they cannot be currently serving as a communications volunteer for another major private relief agency such as the Red Cross. Volunteers may belong to RACES, ARES, Skywarn or any Amateur Radio club. Reference -- http://www.salvationarmydisasterservices.org/saternStatement.html 12 Society of Broadcast Engineers -- The Society of Broadcast Engineers, formed in 1963, is a non-profit organization serving the interests of Broadcast Engineers, devoted to the advancement of all levels of Broadcast engineering. Reference -- http://www.sbe.org |
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