Emergency Preparedness Channels

Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)

ARES groups are volunteer amateur radio operators who come together for the common purpose of providing emergency and/or auxiliary communications service to public safety and public service organizations. Most individual ARES units are autonomous and operate locally. Although the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is a program (and trademark) of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in the USA, the structure is more supportive than directive in nature, providing mostly for mutual aid in the event of large-scale emergencies. As long as local units are operating in the best interests of Amateur Radio in general and the ARRL in particular, intervention from the national organization is minimal. The government expresses little governance of ARES (other than the FCC regulations--47 CFR Part 97-- which regulate all of Amateur Radio) and local authorities only passively regulate ARES groups by way of formal understandings.^[6]

ARES groups are generally organized by city or county and are made up of volunteers from the local area. The only requirements to join ARES are a willingness to serve and a valid amateur radio license.^[6]

Groups are organized locally by the person holding the position of Emergency Coordinator (EC). The EC maintains full responsibility for organizing the local groups and serving as their leader during operations. The EC is an ARRL or RAC member, and is generally the point of contact for those wishing to perform Emergency Communications in their local area. He/She may appoint one or several AECs (Assistant Emergency Coordinator) to oversee certain geographical areas, or he/she may appoint by function such as the SKYWARN severe weather spotting network, Net Managing, Training Direction, or Public Information, or maybe a mix of the above (i.e. whatever works locally). 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 next higher level of coordination is the optional District Emergency Coordinator (DEC). This person coordinates the operation of several local county or city ARES groups and reports to the Section Emergency Coordinator in those sections where the span of control would otherwise be too large. A DEC may have one or more Assistant District Emergency Coordinators serving him or her.

Leading the structure is the Section Emergency Coordinator, or SEC. This person is appointed by the elected Section Managerand is responsible for emergency communications in his/her section. An SEC may have one or more Assistant DECs serving to assist him/her. In the U.S., a Section is one of 71 geographic administrative areas of the ARRL. It is either a state or in more densely populated areas of the U.S., a portion of a state.

ARES membership requirements

Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for membership in ARES.  Training may be required or desired to participate fully in ARES.  Please inquire at the local level for specific information.  Because ARES is an Amateur Radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.

How to get involved in ARES

Print out this form and submit it to your local Emergency Coordinator. 

If you need assistance in locating ARES leadership in your area refer towww.arrl.org/sections

 

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a standby radio service provided for in Part 97.407 of the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) rules and regulations governing amateur radio in the United States.^[1]

The concept of a standby "Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service" to replace the conventional "Amateur Radio Service" during wartime was developed in 1952 as result of input from the American Radio Relay League and the Department of the Army's Office of Civil Defense. During World War II, the Amateur Radio Service had been silenced and a new War Emergency Radio Service (WERS) had to be created from scratch in a process that took six months.

The resulting standby RACES service was designed to provide a quicker and smoother transition in the event the President ever needed to silence the regular Amateur Radio Service again when invoking the War Powers Act. Despite four wars involving the United States since 1952, this has never happened.

When so activated, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service will consist of only those amateur radio operators who have previously registered with State and local governments to provide emergency radio communications for them in times of emergency. Other amateur radio operations would be suspended and operations under the RACES rules might be restricted to certain frequencies within the amateur radio bands.

In addition to wartime communications, operations under the RACES rules can provide or supplement communications during emergencies where normal communication systems have sustained damage. It may be used in a wide variety of situations, including natural disasters, technological disasters, nuclear accidents, nuclear attack, terrorist incidents, and bomb threats.

Middle Tennessee Emergency Amateur Radio Society (MTEARS)

Dedicated "MTEARS" UHF only repeaters serve as a "liaison net" during severe weather. That is that the individual storm spotters continue to use their local frequencies and report weather conditions to their local organization. When an organization receives a report of a tornado, funnel cloud or other severe weather criteria (hail that is 0.75 inches in diameter or larger, or winds greater than 57 mph), a liaison from the local spotter organization relays the report to the National Weather Service. Amateur radio operators at the National Weather Service Office will also give warning, weather summaries, and radar information to the liaisons, who in turn pass the information on to their local spotter network. Spotters and citizens are encouraged to monitor these frequencies, but to limit the traffic on this network, please report severe weather to your local spotter groups instead of on these frequencies. A number of meteorologists at the National Weather Service Nashville office are amateur radio operators and communicate with the spotters on the MTEARS Repeater Link System.

1 02 06 08 16 18 19 28 31 33 47 51 57 60a 60b 68a 71 79 81 83 91 94 96

443.725 107.2 Nolensville - Hub442.700 100.0 Deason 442.025 100.0 Cleveland 444.650 107.2 Short Mtn 443.950 107.2 Tullahoma 443.875 88.5 Crossville 442.800 107.2 Nashville 443.550 100.0 Pulaski 444.075 127.3 Deer Run (Manchester) 443.125 103.5 Signal Mt 442.500 100.0 Knoxville 444.850 100.0 Hohenwald 444.450 123.0 Jackson 442.725 100.0 Southport (was Lawrenceburg) 443.175 100.0 Columbia 442.850 107.2 Lobelville 443.500 100.0 Linden 444.600 107.2 Cookeville 443.975 107.2 Pasquo 442.625 107.2 Clarksville 444.450 107.2 Gallatin 443.950 100.0 Waynesboro 443.075 156.7 Heritage 443.625 127.3 Huntsville Alabama

source: mtears.org

Repeaters

Franklin – UHF	444.025 MHz	PL 110.9
Franklin – VHF (FOW)	145.150 MHz	PL 123.0
Fairview – VHF	145.130 MHz	PL 156.7
Brentwood – VHF	145.210 MHz	PL 173.8
Kirkland – UHF	443.875 MHz	PL 107.2

MTEARS

Repeater Name	Frequency	Shift	Tone
Heritage (Thompson Station)	443.075 MHz	+	156.7
Nolensville	443.725 MHz	+	107.2

WinLink

Name	Frequency	Baud	Callsign
Brentwood	440.95	9600	WC4EOC-9
Heritage (Thompson's Station)	440.925	9600	WC4EOC-10
Oak Hill	145.025	1200	W4GHD-10

source: Frequencies provided by Williamson County Emergency Radio Services