Training and Qualifications for the Santa Cruz County ARES Group

Bob / K06XX shares the following information regarding training and qualifications for the Santa Cruz County ARES group. See also the website xczcomm.com.

Page 1 ARES Training Requirements Rev. 2 17 July 2020

The Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a group of volunteer ham radio operators who organize and practice to be ready to provide emergency communications during and after a disaster.

A. Basic ARES Membership Required to Achieve Basic Membership
1. Obtain a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – Issued Amateur Radio License.
2. Join a Santa Cruz County ARES group and attend monthly meetings.

Required to Maintain Basic Membership
1. Maintain an active FCC-issued Amateur radio License.
2. Participate in at least 4 ARES nets every 12 months.
3. Attend at least 4 ARES monthly meetings every 12 months.
4. Track the successful completion of your training tasks.
5. Respond to an annual email list purge indicating continued interest.

As a Basic ARES Member, you can learn about effective radio communication techniques and participate with more experienced members in ARES-supported events, such as marathons or bicycle rallies.

B. Level 1 ARES Membership

Required to Achieve Level 1 Membership
Basic ARES membership, plus:

1. Register as a Santa Cruz County Disaster Service Worker.
2. Complete ICS 100, Introduction to Incident Command System.
3. Participate in 3 ARES nets.
4. Participate in 1 ARES event.
Required to Maintain Level 1 Membership
1. Maintain an active FCC-issued Amateur radio License.
2. Participate in at least 5 ARES nets every 12 months.
3. Attend at least 4 ARES monthly meetings every 12 months.
4. Participate in at least 1 ARES-supported event annually.
5. Respond to an annual email list purge indicating continued interest.
As a Level 1 ARES Member, you can improve your technical radio skills, run weekly radio nets, and participate individually or with others in ARES-supported events.

Note: Tasks may be completed in any order, except for ICS courses which must be completed in sequence.

Santa Cruz County ARES Training Requirements

Page 2 ARES Training Requirements Rev. 2 17 July 2020
C. Level 2 ARES Membership

Required to Achieve Level 2 Membership
Level 1 ARES membership, plus:
1. Complete ARRL EC-001, Introduction to Emergency Communications.
2. Complete ICS-200, Incident Command System (ICS) for Single Resources.
3. Complete ICS-700, Introduction to National Incident Management System.
4. Complete ICS-800, National Response Framework.
5. Participate in 4 additional ARES nets.
6. Participate in 3 additional ARES events.
7. Attend 4 ARES meetings.
8. Demonstrate these skills:
a. Program a frequency, tone, and repeater offset into a transceiver.
b. Write a message using ICS-213. By radio, send and receive an ICS-213 message.
c. Complete an ICS-214 Activity Log at an ARES event.
d. Assemble an 8-hour deployment kit.
Required to Maintain Level 2 Membership
1. Maintain an active FCC-issued Amateur radio License.
2. Participate in at least 10 ARES nets every 12 months.
3. Act as a net control station for at least 1 ARES net every 12 months.
4. Attend at least 6 ARES monthly meetings every 12 months.
5. Participate in at least 4 ARES events every 12 months.
6. Respond to an annual email list purge indicating continued interest.

As a Level 2 ARES Member, you can further improve your technical radio skills, run weekly radio nets, and participate in and help train less experienced members at ARES-supported events. Only members at Level 2 or above are eligible to be deployed to government facilities.

Santa Cruz County ARES Training Requirements

Page 3 ARES Training Requirements Rev. 2 17 July 2020
D. Level 3 ARES Leadership Membership

Required to Achieve Level 3 Membership
Level 2 Membership, plus:
1. Join ARRL (American Radio Relay League, the organization for amateur radio)
2. Assist in the organization of 2 ARES events.
3. Present a topic of interest at an ARES meeting.
4. Demonstrate ability to work under pressure.
5. Get approval of County District Emergency Coordinator (DEC).
Required to Maintain Level 3 Membership
1. Maintain an active FCC-issued Amateur radio License.
2. Maintain ARRL membership.
3. Organize one or more ARES event every 12 months, or maintain one important ARES process (e.g. credentialing).
4. Attend at least 9 ARES meetings every 12 months unless excused by DEC.

As a Level 3 ARES Member, you participate in leading the organization. You help define the organization’s goals and help train and motivate members achieve those goals.