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Training & Certification Page
Why Certification ?
We continually demonstrate this need by participation in numerous training exercises such as Field Day, SET etc., and by providing communications during public service events - parades, bike-a-thons, races to name but a few. Over the last several years mainly due to reduced licensing requirements we have added many new amateurs to our hobby. While there is strength in numbers, ours is still a technical hobby and we depend on this level of expertise when participating in public service events. As amateur radio emergency communications has continued to evolve, it became apparent that some form of formal certification would soon be necessary in order to assure that we continue to provide trained and professional communicators for public service events.
Amateur Radio Operators can currently take advantage of three main sources of Emergency Service training, The ARRL EmComm Program, The American Red Cross and The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). All are excellent ways to increase your knowledge and skill level and we encourage your participation in any or all of these resources. Many are even available at little if any cost. President George Bush has already stated that the amateur radio service may prove to be a vital part of Homeland Security in the future and we must be ready to provide skilled professional communication services for our community and our country. A short introduction of source of training is presented below. ARRL
EmComm Update
As
we have said previously, the former Level 2 and Level 3 Emergency Communications
courses are being updated and combined into one new course. The new course
will focus on emergency communications training for leaders and managers.
The title of the new course is Public
Service and Emergency Communications Management for
Radio Amateurs. We
anticipate launching this new course in January 2010. It has been
developed in a lesson format and will be posted on our website and, as such, it
will be viewable by any ARRL member. Members will need only log
in to the ARRL website to see the course material. It will not be a
mentored course. Later on, we may provide a mentored online forum on our website
where students can post questions about course topics and receive answers from a
mentor. Requirements
for Course Completion: The
new course requires that the student has previously completed the Level 1/Basic
course, certain FEMA courses and has some experience with Amateur Radio and
emergency communications. Those who desire to receive a course completion
certificate for this new course (which we refer to in shorthand as “Advanced
EmComm”) will first need to document that they have satisfied a list of
prerequisites. After providing the necessary documentation, applicants
will be required to pay an enrollment fee of $35 to gain access to the
course’s final exam. This fee will help to offset the cost of developing
the course and for the online testing service as well as costs for
administrative support. The
course prerequisites to be verified include: An
Amateur Radio license, Completion
of ARRL’s Level 1/Basic course, and Completion
of FEMA courses that are background for this course. FEMA
prerequisites: ICS-100
(basic ICS) ICS-200
(supervisory) ICS
(NIMS)-700 ICS-300,
a classroom course, is also highly recommended, but not required Candidates
for the course completion certificate will also be required to document
completion of additional FEMA courses that are integrated into the Advanced
EmComm course curriculum. These include: IS-800
(National Response Framework)
FEMA IS-240, Leadership & Influence
FEMA IS-241, Decision Making & Problem Solving
FEMA IS-250, Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF15), External Affairs
FEMA IS-1, Emergency Manager, An Orientation to the Position
IS-288, The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management
IS-244, Developing and Managing Volunteers
FEMA IS-120.a, An Introduction to Exercises
FEMA IS-130, Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning
FEMA IS-139, Exercise Design Please
note: the list of FEMA course as prerequisites, as well as those referenced
internally within the course, may change as FEMA makes changes to its course
offerings or the course is modified to introduce new content. Applicants
will also need to supply a reference from their Section Manager, or his or her
designee, stating the reason for the applicant’s participation. Section
Managers will take into account the applicant’s relevant experience or role
within emergency communications and whether they are in good standing within the
amateur radio community. Once applicants have documented that these
requirements have been met and they have paid the course evaluation fee, they
will receive access to complete the online exam. We
are also making provision for unlicensed
individuals who perform an official role as an emergency responder to earn the
course completion certificate if they desire. To apply to take the final
exam and earn the course completion certificate, these individuals will need to
obtain a “waiver” recommendation from the local ARRL Section Manager.
This waiver request should include a description of the position of
responsibility the applicant holds in an emergency response organization. Note
that these individuals will need to be an ARRL member to obtain access to the
course on the ARRL website. Later on, when other media formats are available
there may be additional ways to access the course materials. Amateur
Radio EC Training on Target
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Awareness and Education Click below for a list of items available from the American Red Cross to use to educate the community before and after a disaster strikes. These materials often share the logos of other national organizations who share common goals with the Red Cross to help people prepare for, respond to, and cope with emergencies. Materials are available for order through your local American Red Cross chapter. If you are unsure where to find your local Red Cross chapter, look under "A" in the telephone directory for "American Red Cross." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Each Independent Study Course includes lessons with practice exercises and a final examination. Those who score 75 percent or better are issued a certificate of achievement from EMI. Course completion times vary from two to fourteen hours, depending on the course and the student’s background. Click Here to go directly to their site.
Training Class Well Attended
A special thanks goes out to Charlie, MARC's Public Service Award recipient for 2001, for spearheading an effort to provide additional training to the amateur operators of Stark County. This is one of the major goals of the Stark County ARES and Charlie is helping us to achieve this important goal. Congratulations to the following MARC members for successfully completing this initial FEMA class. They are Gary Kline - WC8W, Randy Phelps - KD8JN, Don Wade - W8DEA, Anne Ballinger - N8GAF, Linda Finley - K8MOO, Perry Ballinger - W8AU, Bruce Putnam - AB8FB, Russ McMahen - N8PII, Gene Beckwith - W8KXR, Jules Laborcane - KA8MMN, Byron Berger - KF8UN, Jack Wade - N8LCS, Rick Garner - KC8LYG, and Terry Russ - N8ATZ. Our instructor Charlie Scherger - KB8STV, assistants Don Finley - W8DEF and Jason Stroll - KC8LIN have previously taken and completed this course. Red Cross Training Class Well Attended
The video based course introduced participants to disasters, the community response, and the role of Red Cross Disaster Services. The class covered the seven major areas of disaster services and is a required course for those who wish to join the Red Cross as a volunteer. Bruce discusses Disaster Preparedness to MARC Club participation was exceptional with 18 members taking part in the introductory course organized by club Training Coordinator Charlie Scherger - KB8STV. Congratulations to the following for taking part in this Red Cross course. They were, Don Finley-W8DEF, Jason Stroll-KC8LIN, Bryon-KF8UN, Gary Lewis-W8SSB, Don Guisinger-KC8RPE, Don Wade-W8DEA, Linda Finley-K8MOO, Jim Farriss-WA8GXM, Terry Russ-N8ATZ, Ann Ballinger-N8GAF, Rich Ross-KA8ZQH, Randy Phelps-KD8JN, Charlie Scherger-KB8STV, Jules Labourcane-KA8MMN, Sam Marang-WA8YGR, Bruce Putnam-AB8FB, Gene Beckwith-W8KXR, and Gary Blagg-KC8IHR. Members Don and Linda Finley, Jim Farriss and Sandra Becker-N8TZB have been involved in the Red Cross for many years and Bruce Robinson hopes the introductory class will inspire a few new volunteers !
ARRL President Haynie Visits Washington
The centerpiece of the series of Washington visits was ARRL's participation in a National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) brainstorming session, chaired informally by Gene McGahey, AL7GQ, of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. The February 27 session considered improved means to incorporate Amateur Radio into public safety and homeland security planning. Participants also looked at the possibilities of increasing the role of ham volunteers in public safety and emergency communication. Among other topics, discussion focused on improving recognition by public safety agencies of Amateur Radio as a resource and further upgrading the level of professionalism among Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) volunteers through enhanced accreditation and training. The session also touched on the need for a universally recognized identification card or credentials for amateur volunteers. Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the FCC and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) were among those on hand for the session.
Haynie told the gathering that amateurs are looking for opportunities to participate in disaster relief, that they are typically resourceful and that they have an innate curiosity about solving technical issues. Ham volunteers not only can bridge a communication gap when conventional means fail, Haynie suggested, but could be recruited to help restore service or offer on-site guidance to resolving technical and communications problems. Other discussion centered on the possibility of forming a highly trained first-response cadre of Amateur Radio volunteers who would undergo ongoing training and accreditation plus periodic credentialing. "We will be going to ARES and RACES to recruit the best and the brightest," Haynie said. While in Washington, Haynie also met with a representative of the US Department of Transportation concerning ham radio's potential role in homeland security. A meeting will be set to discuss ideas in greater depth, he said.
Your local Stark County ARES coordinators encourage your participation in the many training exercises and education opportunities described above. We maintain ongoing records of the training received by area amateurs throughout Stark County as well as active ARES Registration. This information is shared with both area public safety officials as well as the Stark County Emergency Operations Center. We are committed to providing a source of professionally trained and disciplined core of Amateur Radio ARES volunteers prepared to assist our community where ever and when ever needed. Take advantage of the opportunities available to you as well as the VEC Testing sessions that now include the ARRL Emergency Communications Certifications. It's a great way to enjoy your hobby and serve your community !
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last reviewed/updated on 12/24/17 |
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