Level III: Advanced Emergency Communications

Learning Unit 3

ARES Management Positions

Objectives:
Following completion of this Learning Unit, you will have an advanced understanding of the job descriptions and qualifications for the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), the District Emergency Coordinator (DEC), and the Emergency Coordinator (EC). This Learning Unit expands on information contained in Levels I and II.

Student Preparation Required:

None

Information:

The SEC, DEC, and EC comprise the core of the ARES management team. All are appointed by, or at the direction of, the Section Manager. Minimum qualifications are full ARRL membership and a Technician class license or above.

General Job Qualifications

Appointees should be experienced emergency communicators. Actual operating experience at all levels during emergency operations and periodic drills is a real plus. He or she should have demonstrated people management and leadership skills, and be able to work in a team environment. The ability to work under pressure for long periods and remain calm and objective is essential.

The Section Emergency Coordinator

The Section Emergency Coordinator is an assistant to the Section Manager, and must have considerable time and energy to devote to this critical position. This person is appointed by the SM to take care of all matters pertaining to emergency communication and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) on a section-wide basis. There is only one SEC appointed in each section of the ARRL Field Organization.

SEC Job Responsibilities:

  • Recommend candidates for Emergency Coordinator and District Emergency Coordinator appointments (and cancellations) to the Section Manager and determine areas of jurisdiction of each amateur so appointed. At the SM's discretion, the SEC may be directly in charge of making (and canceling) such appointments. In the same way, the SEC can handle the Official Emergency Station appointments.
  • Encourage all local amateur radio groups to establish an emergency organization for their service area.
  • Advise the SM on all section emergency policy and planning, including the development of a section emergency communications plan.
  • Cooperate and coordinate with the Section Traffic Manager so that emergency nets and traffic nets in the section present a united public service front, particularly in the proper routing of Welfare traffic in emergency situations. Cooperation and coordination should also be maintained with other section leadership officials as appropriate, particularly with the State Government Liaison and the Public Information Coordinator.
  • Promote ARES membership drives, meetings, activities, tests, procedures, etc., at the section level.
  • Collect and consolidate Emergency Coordinator (or District Emergency Coordinator) monthly reports and submit monthly progress summaries to the SM and ARRL Headquarters. This includes the timely reporting of emergency and public safety communications rendered in the section for inclusion in QST.
  • Maintain contact with other communication services and serve as liaison at the section level with all agencies served in the public interest, particularly in connection with state and local government, civil preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, Salvation Army, the National Weather Service, and so on. Such contact is maintained in cooperation with the State Government Liaison.

The District Emergency Coordinator

The ARRL District Emergency Coordinator is an optional position for larger Sections, appointed by or recommended for appointment by the Section Emergency Coordinator to supervise the efforts of local Emergency Coordinators in the defined district.

DEC Job Responsibilities:

  • Recommend EC appointments to the SEC.
  • Coordinate the training, organization and participation of Emergency Coordinators in their district. This includes the coordination of mutual aid between ARES units within the district.
  • Make local decisions in the absence of the SEC or through coordination with the SEC, concerning the allocation of available amateurs and equipment during an emergency.
  • Coordinate the relationship between local emergency plans and between communications networks within the area of jurisdiction.
  • Act as backup for local areas without an Emergency Coordinator and maintain contact with governmental and other agencies within the area.
  • Provide direction in the routing and handling of emergency communications of either a formal or tactical nature, with specific emphasis being placed on welfare traffic.
  • Coordinate the reporting and documentation of ARES activities in the district.
  • Act as a model emergency communicator as evidenced by dedication to purpose, reliability and understanding of emergency communications.
  • Be fully conversant in National Traffic System routing and procedures as well as have a thorough understanding of the locale and role of all vital governmental and volunteer agencies that could be involved in an emergency.

The Emergency Coordinator (EC)

The ARRL Emergency Coordinator is the key team leader in ARES on the local (usually county) level. Working with the SEC and the DEC (if one exists), the EC prepares for, and engages in management of communications needs in disaster situations. The following is a discussion of the basic duties of the EC.

The EC manages and coordinates the training, organization and participation of ARES members working in support of public safety agencies and functions at the local (county) level. They establish relationships with federal, state, county, and city governmental and private agencies that are operating in their jurisdiction that need ARES in emergencies. This is accomplished by determining what agencies are active in the area, evaluating each of their needs and identifying the needs that are capable of being met, and then prioritizing these agencies and needs.

The EC always discusses their plans with the Section Emergency Coordinator (or DEC) and with their counterparts in each of the served agencies. The effective EC ensures that all parties are aware of the ARES group's capabilities, and perhaps more important, its limitations.

The EC then develops detailed local operational plans with served agency officials in the jurisdiction that set forth precisely what each party’s expectations are during a disaster operation. The EC works jointly with agency representatives to establish mutual trust and respect. All matters involving recruitment and deployment of ARES volunteers are directed by the EC, in response to the needs assessed by the agency officials. Technical issues involving message format, security of message transmission, Disaster Welfare Inquiry policies, and others, should be reviewed and expounded upon in these detailed local operations plans.

Establishing local communication networks is an important function of the EC. These nets must be conducted on a regular basis and periodically tested under realistic drill conditions. The EC also needs to establish an emergency traffic plan, including provisions for so-called “health and welfare traffic,” using the National Traffic System as one active component for traffic handling. Establishing an operational liaison with local and section nets, particularly for handling Welfare traffic in an emergency situation, is an important function of the EC.

In times of disaster, the EC continually evaluates the communications needs of their jurisdiction and responds quickly to those needs. The EC assumes authority and responsibility for emergency response and performance by ARES personnel under their jurisdiction.

The EC also works with other non-ARES communication provider-groups to establish mutual respect and understanding, and a coordination mechanism with the goal of fostering an efficient and effective communication response overall.

ARES recruiting is also a key responsibility of the EC and is discussed below.

Planning

Here is a review of specific planning functions of the EC:

  • Draft brief, specific ARES plans to fulfill community needs for emergency communication.
  • Develop training programs to fill special skill requirements of members as needed.
  • Establish a workable plan in coordination with other local two-way radio organizations for responding to non-emergency communications requests; e.g., walkathons, parades, and other special events.
  • Develop, implement and maintain a current "telephone tree" or other mechanism for use in alerting and activating ARES members in emergencies.
  • Establish regular, announced meetings of ARES members to plan programs and drills and to accomplish specific goals.
  • Develop a local ARES operating manual to include all essential operating aids and reference information, with annual updates.
  • Provide for communication with neighboring ARES units during need for mutual aid.

Organizing

  • Appoint Assistant ECs (AEC) who will be assigned to specific functions and/or agencies.
  • Maintain a current roster with contact information for all enrolled ARES members.
  • Record members’ special skills and equipment useful in emergencies.
  • Issue ARES identification cards and make cancellations when required.
  • Establish and foster regular nets as required to maintain an active ARES unit, develop capable net control stations, handle a full range of traffic, and disseminate news and bulletins of value to the amateur population in general, and to ARES in particular.
  • Recommend Official Emergency Station (OES) candidates for appointment.

Coordinating

Coordination functions occur on several levels. The EC is responsible for establishing an effective liaison between their ARES group and emergency services designees in local radio clubs and repeater associations. This requires a good deal of diplomatic skill. The EC also needs to coordinate and cooperate with ECs in adjacent areas and sections, to prepare for the possible need for “mutual assistance” during large-scale disaster deployments. The EC also acts as principal area representative from ARES to any area coordinating councils of emergency response organizations.

For traffic handling, the EC works through the SEC, DEC and Section Traffic Manager to arrange for effective liaison and active cooperation with operators of the National Traffic System for both incoming and outgoing traffic during both normal and emergency conditions.

And lastly, the EC develops and organizes an emergency communication planning committee of all agencies that would be involved in a disaster in the jurisdiction with special emphasis on agencies with which ARRL has agreements (i.e., American Red Cross, Salvation Army, APCO, NCS, NWS, FEMA).

Communicating

Communication is the name of the game, of course, and there are a number of related functions that are to be fulfilled by the EC:

  • Prepare EC bulletins and information releases for nets and at meetings of amateurs to keep ARES members and amateurs in general informed of ARES matters.
  • Conduct periodic meetings in person and on-the-air for the purpose of developing close coordination and a free exchange of information among ARES members.
  • Provide served agencies with current contact information for alerting/activating ARES.
  • Submit regular reports to the SEC and DEC covering ARES news, achievements, events, problems, contacts with served agencies, and so forth.
  • Following operations or exercises, provide prompt “post mortem” reports to affected agencies and the SEC and DEC.

Reference Links:

For more information on ARES management functions, see The ARRLEmergency Coordinator’s Manual. For more information on any of the elements presented, please consult the following links:

See also the ARRL ARES Field Services Manual. To learn more about ARES and NTS net operation, contact your Section Manager (SM), your Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) or District Emergency Coordinator (DEC). For more localized information, see See also TheARRL Net Directory for a list of ARES and NTS nets operating in your area.

Student Activities:
1. Contact your DEC, SEC, or EC and learn how your section’s ARES is organized and learn of any openings you might fill.

Review:

In this Learning Unit, you have received a basic understanding of the district ARES organization and plan, and the function of the key ARES official, the District Emergency Coordinator. To check your knowledge of this topic, please click on the Questions button and answer the multiple-choice questions.

Questions:

1. Where does the district level (DEC) fit in the section’s ARES organization?

A. Between the section and state levels.

B. Between the section and county levels.

C. Between the section and agency levels.

D. None of the above.

2. What is one of the most important functions of the DEC?

A. Tell emergency management officials what to do.

B. Provide a level of coordination and organization between the county ECs and the Section Emergency Coordinator.

C. Provide a communications link among the district’s county ECs.

D. B and C are correct.

3. What is one of the most important functions of the SEC?

A. Development of a section emergency communications plan.

B. Submission of monthly progress and activity summaries to the SM and ARRL Headquarters.

C. Perform liaison at the section level with all appropriate served agencies.

D. All of the above are important functions of the SEC.

4. For traffic handling needs, the EC should coordinate his efforts with what group?

A. American Red Cross.

B. REACT traffic handlers.

C. RACES.

D. National Traffic System.

5. Why should ECs develop local operational plans with served agencies?

A. So that each party understands the capabilities and limitations of the ARES group.

B. So that the ARES group can respond to the specific needs of the served agencies.

C. To foster development of mutual understanding and respect.

D. All of the above.