Training

You may ask why do I need training, I have my Amateur Radio License and have been active in the hobby for many years.  ARES plays a critical role during times of disaster or other emergency where the normal methods of communication have either failed or are so overloaded tey are ineffective.  DUe to FEMA and Department of Homeland Security requirements, many of the served agencies that ARES programs in general serve are required to ensure that their personnel including volunteers meet certain training requirements.  This includes ARES volunteers who go into certain areas such as EOCs, disaster areas, shelters, etc.  The courses listed and described below are strongly recommended for all ARES volunteers.

• SkyWarn - The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN with partner organizations. SKYWARN is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
• ARRL EmComm Level I  - A basic course to raise awareness and provide additional knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. This course has 23 lesson units, is expected to take approximately 25 hours to complete over an 8-week period.
• IS-100.a Introduction to Incident Command System - ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
• IS-700.a NIMS An Introduction - This course introduces and overviews the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.
• IS-200.a ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents - ICS 200 is designed to enable personnel to operate efficiently during an incident or event within the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS-200 provides training on and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS.
• IS-800.B National Response Framework, An Introduction - The course introduces participants to the concepts and principles of the National Response Framework.