ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Overview

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County March 3, 2016 July 15, 2025 1

Agenda What is ARES/RACES? ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Why do we train? How to Join? March 2, 2013 2

What is ARES/RACES? The FCC Rules and Regulations define amateur radio in Part 97 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 97.1, Basis and Purpose reads: The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles: (a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications. July 15, 2025 3

What is ARES/RACES? Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Affiliated with ARRL Organization reports through ARRL Just Volunteer ARRL membership is not required ARES members can be deployed by a request from almost any agency, for almost any event July 15, 2025 4

What is ARES/RACES? Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) Affiliated with a local, county or state emergency management agency Assist in civil preparedness, especially war Membership requires training, background checks, uniforms RACES members can only be deployed by an Office of Emergency Management (OEM) or equivalent Requires an official emergency declaration July 15, 2025 5

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County ARES and RACES were combined in Yavapai County to facilitate rapid deployment Emergencies were not declared quickly, so we could be deployed as ARES When the emergency became official, we flipped our badge and became RACES In the last few years, emergencies are declared quickly, reducing the official need for an ARES organization July 15, 2025 6

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County RACES reports through OEM to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and it s members must take training required by them Understand the Incident Command System Work as part of a team in the Emergency Operations Center Be competent in HF, VHF, UHF, voice and digital modes A boy and his HT are no longer enough July 15, 2025 7

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Yavapai Co. Office of Emergency Management Denny Foulk, KE5NDZ, Coordinator ARRL Ariz. Section Emergency Coordinator Dennis Bietry, KE7EJF District Emergency Coordinator Bud Semon, N7CW Asst. District Emergency Coordinator Doug Jarmuth, N0DAJ Emergency Coordinator Southern Yavapai County Doug Jarmuth, N0DAJ Emergency Coordinator Northeastern Yavapai County Randy Skrypek, K6YFE Emergency Coordinator Northwestern Yavapai County Bryan Whipp, W7BNW Emergency Coordinator Eastern Yavapai County Patti Halgunseth, KD7VBG Emergency Coordinator Central Yavapai County Peter Genereaux, W7PRG Asst. Emergency Coordinator Southern Yavapai County Ed Wade, N5IXT Asst. Emergency Coordinator Central Yavapai County Rob Redford, KG7LMI July 15, 2025 8

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County President Chief Executive Officer Tom Gallagher, NY2RF Rick Roderick, K5UR Board of Directors 15 Divisions Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA 5 Sections Section Manager Robert Spencer, KE8DM 15 Districts (Counties) Section Emergency Coordinator Dennis Bietry, KE7EJF District Emergency Coordinator Bud Semon, N7CW July 15, 2025 9

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Resources About 60 members 10% newbies, 30% mid-range, 60% top level Lots of training to make skills 2nd nature MARC (Mobile Amateur Radio Communications) Full complement of radio equipment for all backup requirements Typically deployed immediately to support Incident Command Post set up and/or to support evacuation site July 15, 2025 10

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Resources 3 Voice Repeaters Mt. Union, Mingus Mt., Mt. Francis Emergency power on all 3 Excellent coverage of the county, except for far north west and far south east Should be linked this year MOUs in process with other repeater owners for additional backup July 15, 2025 11

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Resources Winlink An email over radio system interfaced to the Internet or independent Uses 2 M Packet or HF Winmor We maintain: 6 Gateways (Internet interfaces) on 2 M 3 digital repeaters on 2 M (1 on Bill Williams Mt. and 2 on Mt. Union) July 15, 2025 12

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County Resources Radio equipment usually purchased with FEMA grant money 4 Emergency Operation Centers Prescott, Prescott Valley PD, Yavapai Co. (Commerce Dr.), Yavapai Co. (Camp Verde) Various hospitals, fire stations July 15, 2025 13

ARES/RACES in Yavapai County ARES/RACES vs. Public Service Communications for public service events (marathons, bike races, parades, etc.) is sponsored by YARC ARES/RACES membership is NOT required Organized by Patti, KD7VBG (coincidentally an ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator) Through the generosity of Yavapai Co. and ARES/RACES, MARC is often used for YARC public service events, including Field Day July 15, 2025 14

Why Do We Train? ARES/RACES is the premier way to give back to your community Enjoy your hobby Become a better operator Learn new radio skills Keep up with technology Participate in protecting Yavapai County Help save lives July 15, 2025 15

Why Do We Train? What does providing emergency communications mean? Emergencies are different in different parts of the country 4 of rain in So. Florida is just another day, in Prescott it s an emergency Prescott s primary threat is wild fires, followed by flooding, then distantly by earthquakes, chemical spills, terrorism ARES/RACES is an all-hazard organization we train for all these events July 15, 2025 16

Why Do We Train? What does providing emergency communications mean? We provide backup communications to law enforcement, fire, national forests, Red Cross, Animal Disaster Services and others We have radios to support all these organizations and with the proper permission, we can operate all of them We provide tactical messages by voice July 15, 2025 17

Why Do We Train? What does providing emergency communications mean? We provide complex, strategic messages and health and welfare messages by digital modes May or may not involve the use of the Internet July 15, 2025 18

Why Do We Train? What does providing emergency communications mean? Last year, Internet and cell phone service was interrupted for several hours due to vandalism The same thing happened in Coconino and Apache counties, but for several days If vandals can do that, what will terrorists do? Mother Nature can out-do even terrorists . July 15, 2025 19

How to Join? Training Requirements FEMA says: On line - IS-100, -200, -700, -800 Classroom - AUXCOMM ARES/RACES says: On line - KYHam or ARRL EC-001 Classroom Digital Training Operational: Net participation and Net Control Training sessions and exercise participation July 15, 2025 20

How to Join? Paperwork We don t require any information that would facilitate identity theft A background check might be required by the county (has never happened to my knowledge) The on-line FEMA classes require a sign up process Yavapai County and FEMA require semi-formal attendance and participation tracking to support grant requests July 15, 2025 21

How to Join? Equipment We try to minimize requirements to purchase equipment but, You can t become proficient without practice HF experience becoming more important Computer skills are already critical A boy and his HT are no longer enough July 15, 2025 22

How to Join? Details are at http://www.k7yca.org/how-to-join/training-requirements/ July 15, 2025 23