ARES, RACES, SKYWARN and AUXCOMM

Ask around about emergency communications and you will hear a cloud of acronyms. ARES, RACES, SKYWARN and AUXCOMM all involve hams helping in a crisis, so it is easy to blur them together. They are run by different organizations, though, and they do different jobs.

This article sets them side by side, explains the Incident Command System they all plug into, and shows you how to get started.

Side by Side

• ARES: Run by ARRL. Open to licensed hams. Serves government and non-government agencies before, during and after an emergency.
• RACES: Run by a local or state civil defense (emergency management) organization under FCC rules. Open to licensed hams who enroll with that office. Active only when that office calls it up, and for drills.
• SKYWARN: Run by the National Weather Service. Open to anyone. Spotters report severe weather to help the NWS issue warnings.
• AUXCOMM: Training and a role developed by CISA, delivered by CISA and some states. Aimed at volunteer communicators, including hams, who support public safety agencies.

ARES

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service is ARRL’s emergency program. Licensed hams register with their local Emergency Coordinator and use their own training and equipment to provide communications when normal systems fail. ARRL says any licensed amateur may join, whether or not they belong to ARRL or any other group.

Local ARES groups work with local governments and with non-government agencies such as relief organizations. ARES groups at the section level work with state and county governments, led by a Section Emergency Coordinator. Training requirements vary from group to group, and ARRL publishes a standardized training task book on the ARRL ARES Page, where you will also find the registration form.

RACES

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service belongs to government, not to ARRL. Its rules are in FCC section 97.407. Your station must be registered with a civil defense organization, and you must be enrolled with that organization to be a control operator in RACES.

RACES traffic is limited to civil defense communications that the organization authorizes, and you may contact only other registered stations or other stations the FCC authorizes. Drills and tests are limited to one hour per week. With approval from the state’s chief emergency planning officer, a longer drill of up to 72 hours may be held no more than twice a year.

ARRL’s ARES and RACES FAQ says both ARRL and FEMA recommend belonging to both, so you can switch hats as the situation demands. You can read the full rule at 47 CFR 97.407 on eCFR.

SKYWARN

SKYWARN is the National Weather Service’s volunteer storm spotter program. Spotters send timely, accurate reports of severe weather that help forecasters issue warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. The NWS invites anyone interested in public service to take part, so you do not need a license.

Local NWS offices teach free classes of about two hours, usually in their quieter season, and there are free online courses as well. Classes cover how storms develop, what to report, how to report it, and basic safety. Your own safety comes first: report from a safe place and never put yourself in a storm’s path to get a better look. Details and contacts are on the NWS SKYWARN Page.

AUXCOMM

AUXCOMM is short for auxiliary communications. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) developed it with help from amateur radio experts so that volunteer groups could train alongside public safety staff. The course is typically two to three days in person and teaches how auxiliary communicators fit into an emergency operation and its command structure.

An Auxiliary Communicator, or AUXC, is both a trained person and a position, with a task book that lists the skills to demonstrate. Certification happens at the state level. To find a class, CISA points you to your Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC). Each course announcement lists its own prerequisites, so read it before you apply.

ICS and the Free FEMA Courses

The Incident Command System (ICS) is the common management structure that U.S. responders use under FEMA’s National Incident Management System. It puts people, equipment, procedures and communications into one structure, organized around functions such as Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance and Administration. When you show up to help, you will report to someone in that structure.

ICS has its own paperwork. Written messages often go on the ICS 213 General Message form, which does the same job as a radiogram; see How to Send a Radiogram. FEMA’s Independent Study program offers these courses online and free of charge:

• IS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System.
• IS-200: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response.
• IS-700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System.

You will need a FEMA SID number before you start. A letter after the course number shows the current version, so take whatever version FEMA lists now.

Getting Involved

1. Take IS-100, IS-200 and IS-700, then ask each group you join what other training it wants.
2. Find your local ARES Emergency Coordinator, and ask your county emergency management office whether it has a RACES group.
3. Ask your local NWS office when its next spotter class is.
4. Check in to local nets regularly; our guide to Nets and Net Control explains how they run.

Sooner or later you will want a go-kit, a bag you can grab and go. Keep it simple: a radio, a charged battery and a way to recharge it, an antenna and coax with adapters, a headset, a printed frequency list, pencils and message forms, plus water, snacks and any medicine you need. Fuse the battery lead close to the battery, carry lithium packs so the terminals cannot short, and see our article on Portable Amateur Radio Power for more. Then use the kit on a drill so you find out what is missing before it matters.