ARES^®

ARES^®

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^®) is a volunteer radio communications service available to federal, state, county and local government, as well as not-profit organizations. ARES^® consists of more than 600,000 U.S. amateurs nationwide who have voluntarily registered their services and formed an organized pool of operators to provide reliable primary or secondary communications links for governmental agencies and/or not-profit organizations when needed.
Every licensed amateur regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in ARES^®. The only qualification, other than possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve. Because ARES^® is an amateur radio service, only FCC licensed amateurs are eligible for membership. At the local level our primary task has been to provide emergency communications. Our training is focused on disaster preparedness and public service. ARES^® members were used during the Inaugural Day Storm, January 1992, during the Eastern Washington wild fires, Summer 1994 and the winter ice storms of 1997. They have also been used, for communications support, in selected Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.
Although it is desirable to that each amateur have emergency powered equipment at their disposal, this is not a requirement for membership. In fact, some new amateurs have joined before they have acquired any radio equipment. These individuals can provide valuable services as a primary or backup operator at a already equipped station during drills, training, and emergencies.

If you would like to serve your community as an ARES^® member, contact us about membership. We train and practice to sharpen our communications skills in a fun and meaningful way, helping our neighborhoods to be prepared in event of emergency or disaster.

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ARES®

ARES^®