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Served Agencies:
Each served agency has its own -- unique -- communication system.
It is in the best interests of both served agencies and ARES to
discuss and understand what the local served agency uses. If there
is a requirement for Amateur Radio operators to operate the served
agency system, it is desirable to train ARES members in the unique
knowledge they will need. Our success in ARES depends solely on
the readiness and training of our participants.
While ARES is there to help the served agency with a communications
shortfall, the served agency runs the event. Most, if not all, Public
Service agencies use some form of the Incident Command System as
the model for operations during an emergency. It is important that
ARES members understand how the ICS works.
.The Red Cross
The Santa Barbara Country Chapter of the American Red Cross works
closely with ARES. Several ARES members have undergone Red Cross
communications training and several Red Cross volunteers are licensed
amateur radio operators. ARES members have helped in the testing
and maintenance of the Red Cross communication gear. ARES members
can often be found operating from Red Cross shelters during times
of emergency or in the field performing Damage Assessment functions.
Santa Barbara
County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services
SB County Fire OES is a prime sponsor of ARES. Training and preparation
activities several times throughout the year allow ARES members
to train along side the Emergency Services professionals to provide
a valuable backup to normal communication systems. Most drills contain
the assumption that normal communication is disrupted and ARES handles
most of the long distance communication needs of the drill.
Santa Maria Fire
Department
The Santa Maria Emergency Operations Center is the location of
the Santa Maria ARES communication center at 314 West Cook Street.
The Fire Department also provides ARES with a classroom for our
monthly meetings. Under the concept of Mutual Aid, City Fire resources
are often involved in County OES drills when the scenario takes
place in the Santa Maria area. In the airport drill of the year
2000, City Fire and Police as well as County Fire, the Red Cross,
AMR Paramedics and ARES reacted to a simulated runway accident.
During the drill, dozens of images were sent via Amateur Radio to
the emergency operations center in southern Santa Barbara county.
US Forest Service,
Los Padres
The Los Padres forest is the most fire-prone National Forest in
the country—its average annual acreage burned by wildfire is more
than 20,000 acres. ARES has trained with the Forest Service for
Fire Watch and weather observations. ARES uses the Automatic Position
Reporting System (APRS) during Fire Watch operations to help easily
locate the position observations are taken. In the most recent fire
east of Santa Maria, ARES members "shadowed" VIPs to provide
uninterrupted communications to the operations center.
Santa Barbara
Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team
Search and Rescue uses ARES for supplemental communication in areas
that are too remote for normal communication. SAR has also involved
ARES in training for finding downed aircraft using Emergency Locator
Transmitter (ELT) beacons and radio direction finding gear. Santa
Maria ARES recently received a donation of an ELT radio direction
finder from Ltronics of Santa Barbara.
Marian Medical
Center
Marion Medical Center is regularly involved in training exercises
involving mass care situations. Through the efforts of Marian Medical
staff members, ARES has been provided with multiple permanent antenna
hookups and a work area that allows ARES to integrate into the message
flow and security functions of the hospital.
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