Training:

 

Here are links to FEMA courses of critical interest to ARES operators:

ICS-100.b Introduction to Incident Command System

ICS-200.b ICS for Single Incidents and Initial Action Incidents

IS-700 NIMS: An Introduction

IS-800 National Response Framework

IS-240.a Leadership & Influence

IS-241.a Decision Making & Problem Solving

IS-250 Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF-15) External Affairs

IS-1 Emergency Manager, An Orientation to the Position

IS-288 The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management

IS-244.a Developing and Managing Volunteers

IS-120.a An Introduction to Exercises

IS-130 Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning

IS-139 Exercise Design

Many of these courses are requirements for ARES operators registering with local emergency management/public safety agencies and more and more ARES programs across the country. Along with the basic ARRL emcomm course, they form the foundation for an educated, certified, trained corps of ARES volunteers prepared to serve as assets and not liabilities to their communities during disaster situations.

Introduction to Emergency Communication- Course #: EC-001

 

This is a revision of the ARRL's former Emergency Communications Basic/Level 1 course. The course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. The course has six sections with 29 lesson topics. It includes required student activities, a 35-question final assessment and is expected to take approximately 45 hours to complete over a 9-week period. You will have access to the course platform at any time of day during this 9-week period so you may work according to your own schedule. You must pace yourself to be sure you complete all the required material in the allotted time. Prerequisites include the free mini-courses you can take online at http://training.fema.gov/IS/NIMS.asp. ICS-100 (IS-100.b) (Introduction to the Incident Command System); and IS -700 (National Incident Management System). Also recommended, but not required, are: IS-250, Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF15) External Affairs; and IS-288, The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management.

This is a mentored course. You will be assigned to correspond with an experienced radio amateur who will be your resource for any questions you have about the course content. Student and Mentor Expectations are included in the Policies for Online Courses. To register for the course, go to the registration page. The cost is $50 for members, and $85 for non-members.

 

Public Service and Emergency Communications Management for Radio Amateurs-Course #: EC-016.

 

This course is designed to train licensed Amateur Radio operators who will be in leadership and managerial roles organizing other volunteers to support public service activities and communications emergencies. In this course you will learn how radio amateurs prepare and organize to support local community events, work in coordination with governmental and other emergency response organizations, and deploy their services to provide communications when needed in an emergency.

This course is made available on the ARRL Web site for all ARRL members. It is a self-study course that you may complete at your own pace. Prerequisites include several FEMA courses. To enter the course, click here. For information on enrolling for the final assessment and certificate, click here.