The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a Federal Program designed to allow State and Local EMA officials to take control of Amateur (HAM) Radio Frequencies using trained HAM radio operators during extreme instances of emergency or disaster that might require government control of these vital communications resources.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a Amateur Radio Relay League nationally sponsored program where HAM radio operators work together at the state and local level to provide emergency communication services to government and public service agencies.

Because ARES groups are self governing, highly trained and responsible organizations, there has been little need for government to activate RACES in recent history. Even during 911, earthquakes, forest fires and hurricanes. ARES has functioned responsibly without the need for government intervention. However, it is important for ARES groups to closely support and work with the RACES program. It was through these efforts that the Lee County EMA was recently able to obtain Homeland Security grant funds to purchase a new Amateur Radio (RACES) VHF repeater now operational on 147.150 Mhz.

SKYWARN is a National Weather Service sponsored program whose primary purpose is to solicit Storm Spotter reports from NWS trained participants. Over eighty percent of trained Storm Spotters are HAM radio operators. The primary goal is for trained spotters to provide "ground truth" reporting of NWS radar and other sensors to better enable NWS personnel to issue more timely and accurate warnings to the public. The secondary role, though just as important if not more so in many cases, is to report storm damage to both NWS and public service officials. The NWS provides Storm Spotter training at the Lee County EOC twice a year; usually once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Anyone can attend. If interested, contact the EOC at 749-8161 to find out when it will be scheduled.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Many HAMs who are interested in public service, or emergency communications, take additional courses to better prepare themselves for service to the community. Some of these include:

ARRL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONSCourses Level I, II, and III cost $45 to $75

Volunteers from all over the country assisted in pulling together information for these courses. Because the topic of emergency communications is so diversified and so much information is available, the material is broken into three levels: Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Emergency Communications (LEVELs I, II and III).

LEVEL I: Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications. A basic course to raise awareness and provide addditional knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. This course has 23 lesson units and is expected to take approximately 25 hours to complete over an 8 week period.

LEVEL II: Intermediate Amateur Radio Emergency Communications. A more in depth study into amateur radio emergency communications to enhance  the skills and knowledge received from previous experience. LEVEL I ARECC is required prior to taking LEVEL II. This course has 20 lesson units and is expected to take approximately 25 hours to complete over an 8 week period and ears 1.5 CEUs

LEVEL III: Advanced Amamteur Radio Emergency Communications. This is the tird and final stage of the planned 3 level ARRL Amamteur Radio Emergency Communications Courses. This course is designed to bridge the gap between basic participation and leadership.  Both LEVEL I and LEVEL II certifications are reuired prior to taking this course. This course has 23 lesson units and is expected to take approximately 25 hours to complete over an 8 week period and earns 1.5 CEUs.

FEMA Courses: The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers more than forty independent study courses. These are self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. For most of these courses, you will need to download and print the materials. Others are interactive courses that you can take directly over the internet on the NETC Virtual Campus. All are offered free of charge to those who qualify for enrollment.

Incident Command System (ICS) 100 Training: Provides training on and resources for personnel who require a basic understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS).

Incident Command System (ICS) 200 Training: Provides training on and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS. The primary target audiences are response personnel at the supervisory level.

Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) (IS700): Provides training on and resources for the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.

Introduction to National Response Plan (NRP (IS800): Provides training on and resources for the National Response Plan (NRP). The NRP specifies how the resources of the Federal Government will work in concert with State, local, and tribal governments and the private sector to respond to Incidents of National significance. The NRP and the NIMS provide a nationwide framework for working cooperatively to prevent or respond to threats and incidents regardless of cause, size, or complexity.

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighboorhood or workplace following an event when professional first responders are not immediately available for to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active roll in emergency preparedness projects in their community. To find out when a CERT class will be schedule, contact the Lee County EMA at 749-8161.

Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters, both natural and man made. As you watch disaster relief efforts unfold, you may wonder how the Red Cross recruits and trains volunteers. Chapters all over the country offer Disaster Services Hurman Resources (DSHR) System training to equip volunteers with the proper training and knowledge to prepare them for deployment when disaster strikes. During times of large scale disasters and devastation, there are also many individuals who step forward eager to do whatever they can to help. Talents of these spontaneous volunteers are often put to use on site and behind the scenes after orientation to Red Cross services and determination how they may best help those affect by the disaster. If you are interested in volunteering with the Red Cross to help in disaster services, please review link above,  the Lee County Red Cross Web page and the new online Introduction to Disaster Services Course to learn more about the lifesaving services the Red Cross provides.

The CENTER for DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) provides data on general Public Health concerns such as up to date information on Pandemic Flu and Avian Flu.