ARES Leadership
Section Manager (SM)
A Section is the largest administrative unit of the ARRL field organization. Each Section has an SM elected by ARRL members in that Section. The SM has overall responsibility for ARRL activities in the Section and may appoint as many assistant officials as he deems necessary. They serve at the pleasure of the SM. Technically, their appointments end automatically when the SM leaves office, though the new SM may choose to continue any or all of them. All field appointments are made by the SM at the EC level and above.
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)
The SEC is directly responsible for emergency planning and operations, and heads the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), in the Section.
In the event of the SEC's absence or temporary inability to perform his duties, the Section Manager assumes those duties or appoints someone to perform them during the SEC's absence or incapacity.
By delegation of authority from the SM, the SEC appoints all District and County Emergency Coordinators. The SEC may appoint individuals at any time to assist in performance of specifically delegated duties.
Section Traffic Manager (STM)
The STM, also appointed by the SM, coordinates National Traffic System (NTS) activities in the Section. The STM is often helpful when setting up liaison circuits with other Sections or countries for served agencies in Alaska - for example, the Alaska Division of Emergency Services or the Red Cross.
This could also include moving welfare inquiry traffic into Alaska in the late stages of a disaster operation, or routing outgoing welfare traffic through NTS, including the digital systems, for rapid delivery. In such circumstances the STM coordinates the exchange and keeps the SEC and Emergency Net Manager advised of preferred routes and methods. And he works closely with other NTS officials to establish and maintain routes for whatever inter-Sectional traffic is being generated.
District Emergency Coordinator (DEC)
District EC is a major responsibility, demanding a major commitment of time, energy and personal initiative. Alaska is divided into twenty-nine Districts. DECs are responsible to the SEC for executing the Section ARES plan as it applies to the District.
Emergency Coordinator (EC)
The EC is the chief ARES official in the Borough, and is directly responsible to the DEC. The duties of Emergency Coordinator require a serious commitment of time and effort by the volunteer who accepts it. The EC serves at the pleasure of the SEC or SM, but works closely with the DEC day to day.
The EC's duties in a medium-to-large county are many and complex. No EC can do everything himself. To be effective, he must delegate duties to Assistant ECs (AECs). He/she may appoint as many AECs as needed. AEC appointments do not need approval by any other ARES official. AECs need not be ARRL members, but should be encouraged to join. They serve at the pleasure of the EC and their appointments lapse when the EC resigns or is replaced, though any or all of the same individuals may be re-appointed by the new EC at his/her discretion.
The EC organizes and coordinates Amateur Radio communications in the Borough to accommodate the needs of agencies served.