About

ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Service

In the United States and Canada, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corp of trained amateur radio operator volunteers, organized to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is organized and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League or ARRL.

Communication failures have been a defining part of natural disasters and even the September 11 attacks that occurred in New York City. A lack of communication between firefighters at the World Trade Center contributed directly to the deaths of 300 of those firefighters. Amateur radio provides a means of communication when all others fail.

Amateur radio operators belonging to ARES have responded to local and regional disasters since the 1930’s, including the attacks of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. During the Katrina event more than one thousand ARES volunteers assisted inthe aftermath and provided communications for the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and other individuals related to the relief effort. After Katrina, Hancock County Mississippi had lost all contact with the outside world, except through ARES operators who served as 911 dispatchers and message re-layers.

ARES has deployed for a variety of other emergencies and disasters, including the 2003 North America blackout. In the United States it’s scope included Cleveland, Detroit, and New York City. Land line telephones and cell phone systems were overloaded and Amateur’s ability to operate off the grid was put to the test. Health and welfare traffic were passed on VHF and HF nets. Because television and radio stations had gone off the air amateurs filled the lack of information. In 1977 lightning caused a power outage to New York City and most of it’s suburbs. Radio operators started communication nets on Simplex and on a repeater located in the Chrysler building.

ARES groups are volunteer amateur radio operators who come together for the common purpose of providing emergency and auxiliary communication service to public safety and public service organizations. Most individual ARES units are autonomous and operate locally. ARES groups are generally organized by city or county and are made up of volunteers from the local area.

Groups are organized locally by the person holding the position of Emergency Coordinator or EC. The EC maintains full responsibility for organizing the local groups and serving as their leader during operations.

The EC is an ARRL member, and is generally the point of contact for those wishing to perform Emergency Communications in their local area. The EC may appoint one or several Assistant Emergency Coordinator’s referred to as AEC’s to oversee certain geographical areas or they may appoint by function such as the SKYWARN severe weather network, Net Managing, Training Direction, or Public Information. Some members may be appointed as Official Emergency Stations and are trained to serve specific duties such as being a net controller during emergencies.

The only requirements to join ARES are a willingness to serve, and a valid amateur radio license.

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