Mercer ARES®

I was the ARES® Emergency Coordinator for Mercer County, New Jersey (SNJ section) from March 1994 to March 2015. The new EC is John, WJ3P. He can be reached at [his call sign] @ arrl.net .The Mercer County, NJ ARES/RACES Emergency Net meets every Fourth Thursday on the W2MER 147.105 MHz (+.600, PL 123.0). The net starts at 7:00 pm local time. The purpose of the net is to discuss ARES and RACES activities in and around Mercer County, NJ and to test EOC equipment. Everyone is invited to check in. The net may also be called in an emergency and for SKYWARN® activity.

The New Jersey State RACES Net meets on the Last Monday of the month. Members are encouraged to visit the State EOC, County EOC and Red Cross to gain experience with the equipment there and become familiar with net operation. The Red Cross Net starts at 7:15 pm local time and the RACES Net starts at 7:00 pm. There are no RACES or Red Cross Nets in May or December due to the holidays. These nets are for specified stations only.

Mercer ARES Repeaters

• 146.670 W2ZQ (146.070 Input, PL 131.8)
• 146.460 N2RE (147.460 Input, PL 131.8)
• 147.105 W2MER (147.705 Input, PL 123.0)
• 147.555 simplex

Emergency Alert Radio Stations (EAS)

• WKXW 101.5 FM
• WNJT 88.1 FM
• WWFM 89.1 FM
• Local broadcast television stations and your cable TV provider will also provide EAS alerts.

Weather Information for Mercer County:

• National Weather Service - Philadelphia / Mt. Holly
  • NWS is on Facebook at US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly
  • NWS is on Twitter at @NWS_MountHolly
• NOAA All Hazards / Weather Radio 162.450 MHz and 162.475 MHz
• River / Stream Gauges - Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Mercer County, New Jersey ARES® Information:

• Mercer County, NJ ARES Sign up Form - Sign up online.
• Mercer County, NJ ARES Reference Card (pdf) (03/29/2015)
• Mercer County, NJ ARES Emergency Plan (pdf) (12/4/2011)

Served Agencies for Mercer County:

• SKYWARN Information Page - The Official Site of the Philadelphia / Mount Holly,NJ NWS Forecast Office SKYWARN® Home Page
• Mercer County, NJ SKYWARN Reference Page
• American Red Cross - humanitarian organization, helping millions of people each year prevent, prepare for, and cope with emergencies.

Southern New Jersey Information:

• Southern New Jersey ARES
• ARES Emergency Plan for Southern New Jersey

Nearby County Information:

• Bucks County, PA ARES
• Camden County, NJ EMCOMM
• Cape May County, NJ RACES
• Monmouth County, NJ ARES

Education Links:

• The David Sarnoff Radio Club site has other important information for ARES and RACES in Mercer County, NJ.
• ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) - offers two courses in Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC). I recommend that everyone who has an interest in emergency communications complete Level 1 at a minimum. Certification is just the beginning to be followed by active participation in drills and emergencies.
• FEMA - 100.b Intro to Incident Command
• FEMA - 700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
• FEMA - 200.b ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• FEMA - 800.b National Response Framework, An Introduction

Forms

• ICS-213 - Primary message form used in Mercer County and SNJ. Used by served agencies.
• ARRL Radiogram - Deprecated. Use for direct injection into National Traffic System only.

Information provided by Gary, K2GW:

• A Sample Emergency Supply Kit For A Family Of Four (pdf) (12/6/2011)

In an emergency for Mercer County, New Jersey, make sure your family and home are safe, then check-in on the DVRA Trenton repeater 146.67 MHz (-.600, PL 131.8) for instructions. The alternate frequency is the DSRC repeater 146.46 MHz (+1.000, PL 131.8).

Prepare by registering with the Emergency Coordinator, KB2EGI and checking into the Mercer County Emergency Net on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM on 146.67.

• Maintain your skills by participating in nets and Public Service events.
• Visit the Mercer County EOC and the Red Cross Chapter on the last Monday at 7:15 PM for an orientation on the equipment there.
• Consider using 30 Amp Anderson Powerpole connectors on your 12VDC equipment to facilitate interoperability.

W2MER is the club call sign for the Mercer County Emergency Radio Club. All licensed amateurs in the Mercer County, NJ who are interested in Emergency & Public Service are welcome to join. There are no dues!

All ARES & RACES members in Mercer County are automatically members! Meetings are held in the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management Radio Room at the Dempster Fire Service Training Center, 350 Lawrence Station Road, Lawrence, NJ on the last Monday of each month (except May and December)at 7:30 PM. All are welcome.

A fully equipped club station is available at the OEM, with capabilities on HF, 2 Meters, packet, 220 and 440. A 150 foot tower supports our antennas.

For more information, check into the Mercer County Emergency Net, held on the fourth Tuesday of the Month on the DVRA Repeater (146.67 MHz -.600 PL 131.6). Or you can contact the Mercer County EC, Kip Burnett, KB2EGI or the station trustee, Gary Wilson, K2GW. Your help is needed in fulfilling our responsibilities as Amateur Radio operators to perform public service.

In an emergency, monitor 146.67 MHz for instructions. 73 Gary, K2GW

Modified August 4, 2018

“ARES®” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service®” are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Incorporated and are used by permission.

The Greek Red Cross emblem and the American Red Cross name are federally protected marks of The American National Red Cross (see United States Code, Title 18, Section 706).

SKYWARN® and the SKYWARN® logo are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.