ARES 3 0 Change is coming Background The

ARES 3. 0 ® Change is coming…

Background • The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) has been the public service communications program of the ARRL since 1935 (ARES 1. 0) • The last major update to ARES occurred more than 40 years ago (1970’s) (ARES 2. 0) • In 2016 the ARRL board of directors created the Public Service Enhancement Working Group (PSEWG)

PSEWG The Public Service Enhancement Working Group was charged ". . . to conduct a pragmatic review or ARRL's public service program elements; identify opportunities as well as gaps that could benefit from improvement, modernization etc. ; and finally, provide findings and suggestions to ARRL's Programs and Services Committee for consideration. "

PSEWG Issues (January 2017) • Alignment of ARES® with the operational structure of our partner agencies was evaluated, and found to be inconsistent with the structure of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) • Recommendation was that the Emergency Coordinator (EC) functions as the equivalent position of the NIMS Incident Commander during an activation.

PSEWG Issues (January 2017) • Elimination of the Official Emergency Station (OES) appointment was recommended, as all ARES members would serve that function. • Lack of reporting by the EC’s to ARRL HQ was evaluated, and attributed mainly to the lack of a simple electronic reporting process. • The issue of ARES training was evaluated, and partner agencies are calling for all ARES operators to meet training standards, particularly those offered by FEMA.

PSEWG Priorities (July 2017) • A new national mission statement for ARES • New national training requirements and local training resources for ARES • Updated field organization job descriptions • Improved ARES operating guidelines • New ARES group benefits • A new volunteer management system – ARES Connect

New ARES Mission Statement (approved July 2017) “The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) is a program of the ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio, which is comprised of organized, trained, qualified, and credentialed Amateur Radio operators who augment and support vital communications on behalf of the public through partner agencies and organizations during emergencies and disasters. The mission of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is to be an effective partner in emergency and disaster response, providing emergency managers and their communities with radio communications expertise, capability and capacity, supplied by volunteer radio communicators”.

PSEWG Findings (January 2018) • • • Lack of uniform training standards. No standards for setting members qualifications to serve. Inadequate credentialing. No method of certifying a group's skill set No method of establishing any group's capacity to handle a given load. • No method of determining any group's capabilities. • No complete method of registering ARES members. • Inadequate reporting of activities by ECs

Suitable reporting methodologies would: • • • Provide adequate information storage Allow a full membership database to be developed Allow remote field entry Allow HQ access to database Insure membership security Allow automated reporting Be Internet accessible Allow database download and/or offline operation by local ECs Provide adequate user training.

ARES Connect • The first step in the next evolution of ARES is group identification • Currently there is no way to identify ARES groups or their associated volunteers • HQ Staff studied the features and benefits of the ARES membership reporting system and its benefits were found to be profoundly important not only to the future of ARES but that an immediate advantage was realizable.

ARES Connect Projected Timeline • January 2018 – EC applies for Group Identification number • May 1, 2018 – Field Organization leaders trained in ARES Connect system • May 18, 2018 – ARES Connect roll out to membership nationwide at HAMVENTION • After roll out, members are asked to register with their ARES group

Late Breaking News • January 2019 - Full rollout of ARES Connect completed – Other legacy systems will sunset (including ENY ARES Online Membership System • Glimpses of ARES Connect and new program have been spotted – Ohio ARES meeting (April 7, 2018) – Preview by PSEWG Chair Dale Williams WA 8 EFK (unavailable prior to ARRL board approval) – Presentation by Ohio SEC Stan Broadway N 8 BHL

ARES Connect Benefits • ARES book sets (great for the EOC or Red Cross radio room) • New ham referral • Early access to the annual ARES Report • Email forwarding, which will provide ARES groups that have a club callsign with a uniform "call sign@arrl. net" • More to come!

ARES Annual Report 2017 • • Reporting by sections increased Value of volunteer service = $24. 14 per hour Standardized reporting system Sections not reporting for over a year are considered to have no ARES program or an inactive ARES program – AK, MT, NNY, ORG, SDG, SC, UT, VT, WMA

New ENY Initiatives Still more changes…

ENY ARES 2017 • • Reporting by counties increased slightly Value of volunteer service = $24. 14 per hour Standardized reporting system Sections not reporting for over a year are considered to have no ARES program or an inactive ARES program – 6 of the 15 counties in ENY fell into this category as of 12/31/17 – As of January 2018 long dormant Sullivan is once again active – The present 66% (10/15) reporting rate needs to improve

ENY REPORTING TIMETABLE • March 1 - counties that have not reported in 12 months will be dropped from the SEC Monthly Report. • June 1 - counties that have not reported in over 12 months will be considered inactive.

ENY REPORTING TIMETABLE • July 1 - EC positions in those counties that have not delivered a monthly report in the previous 18 months will be declared vacant and the county program considered nonexistent. (This may already happen at the national level as ARES Connect comes online. )

ENY Initiatives • Event Planning – A Public Service event planning tool • Used with event organizers • Can be basis of writing an Incident Action Plan (IAP) • Available now at enyares. org • Training Proposal – 3 Levels • Basic skills • ICS and other courses

Event Planning Form • Basis for common understanding of an event – What hams can and cannot do (ex. HIPPA) • Assessment of needs – Services requested – Sites to be covered • Inventory of assets – Facilities – Medical – Insurance

Training Proposal • • 3 Levels of training Uses ICS style Task Book system Lines up with ICS RADO (Radio Operator) position Certifies operator capabilities for different assignments Includes demonstration of practical operating knowledge Identification of future leadership May be superseded or modified by new National Level requirements

NIMS/ICS Core Curriculum

NIMS EOC Personnel Curriculum

COMMUNICATOR (RADO) • Education – ICS 100, 200, IS 700, 800 (Required) – SKYWARN training (Optional) • Proficiency/Skill – FCC Technician or higher (Required) – Ability to Program frequency, offset & tone in radio (Required) • Participation – Join ARES group (Required)

INTERMEDIATE COMMUNICATOR • Education – FCC General or higher (Optional) – COMMUNICATOR (RADO) Completion(Required) – SKYWARN training (Required) – ARRL EC-001 (Optional)

INTERMEDIATE COMMUNICATOR • Proficiency/Skill – Write & Send ICS-213 Message (Required) – VHF NBEMS Proficiency (Optional) – Ability to build a dipole antenna (Required) – Ability to build Powerpole adapter cable (Required) – Ability to build PL 259 connector cable (Required) – Assemble 24 hour Go Kit (Required)

INTERMEDIATE COMMUNICATOR • Participation – Net Participation at least quarterly (Required) – Public Service Event Participation annually (Optional) – Simulated Emergency Test or Exercise (Optional) – Net Control Station (Required)

ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR • Education – Complete INTERMEDIATE COMMUNICATOR (Required) – ICS 300 & 400 (Optional) – IS 802, 240. b, 288. a (Required) – SKYWARN Training (Required) – ARRL EC-001 (Required) – ARRL EC-016 (Optional) – ARRL PR-101 (Optional) – AUXCOM (Optional)

ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR • Participation – Net Participation at least quarterly (Required) – Public Service Event Participation at least annually (Required) – Simulated Emergency Test or Exercise annually (Required) – Serve as Net Control at least quarterly (Required)

ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR • Leadership – Present a training session (Required) – Hold or have held a leadership position (Optional) – FCC General Class or higher (Required)

ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR • Proficiency/Skill – Proficient in ICS Forms (Required) – Demonstrate cross-band repeat (Optional) – Winlink VHF/UHF & HF (Optional) – FLDIGI Proficiency (Optional) – 72/120 hour Go Kit (Required)

ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR • ARESMAT Deployment (Optional) – Ability to volunteer for complex missions – May include travel in support of distant emergencies

A Certificate Suitable for Framing…

ON THE HORIZON • Monthly Voice Nets (Fourth Tuesday) – Even months – Repeaters (N 2 ACF, KA 2 QYE) – Odd months – HF 3993 LSB • Simulated Emergency Test – First Saturday in October • Digital Nets – NBEMS – Winlink

ON THE HORIZON • 5 Watt Challenge – Use of no more than 5 watts – No repeaters – Log and submit contacts • NVIS Day – Test of Near Vertical Incident Skywave antennas – Log and submit contacts

Questions? Thanks for your attention! David Galletly KM 2 O ENY Section Emergency Coordinator km 2 o@arrl. net enyares. org Cell: 518 -421 -8324 HH: 4076