ARES® Information, Training Courses & Links
ARES stands for Amateur Radio Emergency Service and is a registered trademark of the ARRL. If you want to know more about it, you can follow this link to ARRL's website: arrl.org/ares
The links below are provided for those wishing to become a member of ARES and take FEMA courses and exams. It is presented here as many have struggled with the process and the navigation of FEMA's extensive website. It is the hope this will simplify the process for you and make documents and links easy to find. CTARC makes no representation as to the accuracy or validity of the information presented below, nor endorses any products or services that may be offered.
The process for ARES membership and training:
- You must hold a valid FCC Technician class Amateur Radio License or higher, and be a member of the ARRL.
- Fill out the ARES registration form and give it to your local coordinator. For CTARC and Bell County ARES, this is Joe Mayer [N5JWM]. Turning in the form and having it accepted makes you an ARES member.
- If you plan to do coursework with FEMA, you will need to register for a FEMA Student ID as this allows you to take the FEMA courses/exams and get credit for them.
- Download and print the "Task Book" to record your progress and document the ARES and FEMA requirements and exam completions. This book will be given to the coordinator once you have completed the assignments.
- Level 1 Training is completely optional, but it is recommended that you take FEMA courses 100 and 700, attend a National Weather Service SKYWARN Spotter basic training class, and take the online ARRL EC-001 course. This will satisfy the optional requirements for basic training and prepare you for Level 2 training if you so desire.
- Level 2 Training requires that you take all training courses for Level 1 (except SKYWARN), plus FEMA courses 200 and 800.
The ARES Manual is linked here for your perusal and not a requirement for study and testing. It is good information to read and gives you a better understanding of what ARES is and does, and the processes involved in assisting local emergency management.
ARES Registration Form for NEW Members
https://arrl.org/files/file/fsd98(2).pdf
Register for a FEMA Student ID
https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid/register
ARES Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book
https://arrl.org/files/file/Public Service/ARES/ARRL-ARES-FILLABLE-TRAINING-TASK-BOOK-V2_1_1.pdf
Direct Links to ARES Level 1 Training Courses & Exams
100: Introduction to the Incident Command System
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-100.c&lang=en
700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-700.b&lang=en
National Weather Service SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Program
https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/
ARRL EC-001: Introduction to Emergency Services
https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-self-guided-emergency-communication-course-ec-001-s-is-now-available-on-demand
Direct Links to ARES Level 2 Training Courses & Exams
200: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-200.c&lang=en
800: National Response Framework, An Introduction
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-800.d&lang=en