TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 13.45 DATE: November 10, 2013 SUBJECT: WHAT IS ARES?
ARES, or Amateur Radio Emergency Service, consists of licensed Amateur Radio operators who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in the ARES. The only qualification, other than possession of an Amateur Radio License, is a sincere desire to serve.
Because ARES is an Amateur Radio Service, only Amateur Radio operators are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership. To register with ARES just contact your county ARES Emergency Coordinator and ask to be put on the list of Amateurs to be contacted when emergencies strike. The registration is a simple process. All you have to do is list the type of equipment and frequency bands that you are able to operate, and whether it can be operated on emergency or back-up power. Registration in ARES should be kept up-to-date, or at least once a year.
In some counties you will be issued an ARES Unit Number which falls in line with some of the Public Safety Unit Numbers. Just because you have a Unit Number doesn't mean you can transmit on Public Safety frequencies. The Unit Number is just a simple way of keeping track of your registration.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV