ARES — the Amateur Radio Emergency Service — is the ARRL's nationwide volunteer emergency communications organization. Local ARES groups train together, participate in regular nets, and respond to activations supporting served agencies (Red Cross, hospitals, emergency management, SKYWARN) when their communications infrastructure is overwhelmed or unavailable. Joining is straightforward. Becoming genuinely useful takes focused preparation, but it's achievable within a few months of getting licensed.
Step 1: Find Your Local ARES Section and EC
ARES is organized into ARRL sections, each with a Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). Within each section, Emergency Coordinators (ECs) manage county or regional ARES groups. Find your section at arrl.org/sections, then look for the section's ARES page or contact the Section Manager. Many sections maintain websites with local group contact information, net schedules, and training requirements. If you can't find a local group online, email your ARRL section manager — they'll connect you with the EC for your county.
Step 2: Complete Required ICS Training
The Incident Command System (ICS) is the standardized management framework used by all U.S. emergency response agencies. ARES operators must understand ICS to function effectively within served agency activations. The required courses are free through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute:
- IS-100.C — Introduction to the Incident Command System
- IS-200.C — ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
- IS-700.B — An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- IS-800.D — National Response Framework, An Introduction
Complete all four at training.fema.gov/is. Each course takes 2–4 hours and ends with an online exam. Print and keep your certificates — your EC will ask for them. Some sections require additional courses; check your local requirements.
Step 3: Set Up Your Go Kit
An ARES go kit is a self-contained portable station you can deploy to an assigned location within one hour of notification. The basics:
- Radio: A dual-band VHF/UHF transceiver (Yaesu FT-60, Icom ID-51, or similar). HF capability is a plus but not always required at entry level.
- Power: A 20–40Ah LiFePO4 battery with a battery management system. Your station must operate independently of commercial power for at least 12 hours.
- Antenna: A roll-up J-pole or slim-jim for VHF, deployable on a portable mast. For HF: an EFHW or NVIS dipole pre-cut for 40m.
- Interface: A laptop with Winlink Express, VARA FM, and ICS form templates installed and tested. A SignaLink USB or equivalent audio interface for your radio.
- Logging: Paper logs (always) plus digital logging software. Paper does not crash.
- Personal gear: ID badge with your callsign visible, vest or shirt identifying you as a licensed amateur operator, water, food for 24 hours.
Step 4: Participate in Regular Nets
Most ARES sections run weekly or monthly check-in nets on a designated frequency. Check in consistently. This is how your EC knows your equipment works, your Winlink connection is functional, and you're ready to deploy. Missing nets consistently signals that you're not ready for activations — and most ECs won't deploy operators who don't demonstrate regular net participation.
Beyond simple check-ins, many sections run training exercises — simulated emergency tests (SETs) where the group practices a full activation scenario. Participate in at least one SET before expecting a real activation assignment. The procedural fluency you develop in a low-stakes training scenario directly translates to calmer, more useful behavior in an actual event.
What Real Activations Look Like
Most ARES activations are public service events — marathons, parades, bike rides — where ARES operators provide communications support for event safety teams. These are valuable practice in a low-stress environment. You learn net discipline, tactical communications, and event coordination while supporting a community event. Serve at several public events before expecting emergency activations.
Actual emergency activations — disaster responses, severe weather events — are less common but more intense. You'll be assigned to a specific position (shelter, EOC, field location), given a communication assignment, and expected to maintain communication discipline under potentially stressful conditions. The operators who perform well under these conditions are consistently those who have logged hours on practice nets and public service events beforehand.
The most important preparation: Participate in your section's weekly net for 90 consecutive days before your first activation. The repetition builds the procedural reflexes that activate reliably under stress. Operators who show up for their first activation without regular net experience are frequently more burden than help to the net control. Don't be that operator.
Maintaining Your ARES Readiness
ARES readiness isn't a destination — it's a maintenance state. Equipment fails, software updates break configurations, and skills degrade without practice. Successful ARES operators build a monthly readiness routine: verify all equipment operates correctly, test Winlink connectivity on at least one mode, check in to the section net, and review any updated procedures from the EC. This takes about 90 minutes per month and ensures you're genuinely deployable rather than theoretically deployable.
Battery maintenance is a particularly common failure point. LiFePO4 batteries should be cycled — fully charged, then discharged to 50%, then recharged — at least quarterly to maintain capacity. Older SLA batteries need monthly voltage checks. A battery that hasn't been tested in six months may not deliver the rated capacity when you actually need it during a 12-hour shelter assignment. Test it before the event, not during it.
ARES vs RACES: Understanding the Difference
ARES and RACES are often mentioned together but serve distinct functions. ARES is an ARRL organization — volunteer, flexible, and activated by served agency request. RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) is a federal government program under FEMA, activated specifically during declared civil emergencies by authorized government officials. RACES operators are registered with their local emergency management agency and have specific FCC authorization to operate on otherwise restricted frequencies during declared emergencies.
Many operators hold both ARES and RACES membership, which is both legal and common. The practical difference: ARES activations happen more frequently (public service events, local emergencies, training exercises), while RACES activations are more formal and require an official declaration. In a major disaster, both organizations may be operating simultaneously under the same incident command structure. Understanding both is worthwhile for any operator serious about EmComm work in their community.