Morris County NJ
Amateur Radio Volunteers
Activities and Opportunities
ARES
Quick Index for this Page
What is ARES?
Why hams are valuable during emergencies
ARES Organizations - Morris County
ARES Nets
ARES Forms
Links to ARES-related sites
What is ARES?
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services and pronounced "Air-ease") is a volunteer radio communications service available to federal, state, county and local government, as well as not-profit organizations. ARES consists of thousands of U.S. amateur radio operators who have voluntarily registered their services and formed an organized pool of operators to provide reliable primary or secondary communications links for governmental agencies and not-profit organizations when needed.
Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in the A.R.R.L. (American Radio Relay League) or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in ARES. The only qualification, other than possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve. There are no fees. Because ARES is an amateur service, only amateur license holders are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.
To learn more about ARES, visit the ARRL web page:
 | Chapter 1: Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) - .PDF file from the ARRL "Public Service Communication Manual" |
Why ham radio is valuable during emergencies
Amateur radio has several advantages during emergencies:
| Radio transmissions can be heard by an unlimited number of receivers, so information intended for a group can be sent quickly. |
| A large reserve of experienced hams -- each with their own radios -- can quickly establish supplementary communication networks on the ham frequencies. |
| Ham operators can prove a common link for agencies who normally operate on disparate frequencies. |
| A large number of ham frequencies allow a large number of separate information channels. |
| Ham radios operate on batteries, so they can operate from most field locations or when street power is lost. |
| Existing ham voice repeaters extend the area of ham coverage far beyond most police or fire radio systems. |
| Information can also be sent in digital form when privacy or volume are a concern. |
| Ham television can quickly provide live images from field
sites. |
ARES Organization in Morris County
At the "town" level, most ARES organizations are tied to a municipal RACES unit. To get involved, contact your municipal RACES radio officer to see if there is a nearby ARES group. If there is, the leader of the local ARES group, the Emergency Coordinator (EC), will be happy to talk to you.
The local ARES groups in Morris County fall under the jurisdiction of the Northern New Jersey (NNJ) Section, specifically to the Morris County District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) who is:
| Karl Fenton N2OYU at n2oyu@arrl.net ; 973 768 5400. |
The DECs in the NNJ section report to the NNJ Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), who is:
| Steve Ostrove at K2SO@arrl.net |
To join the NNJ ARES email reflector and receive notices and announcements of NNJ ARES activities, visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=nnjares
One special ARES organization is our area is RAVEN, the RAmapo Valley Emergency Network, a special inter-County group serving portions of northeastern Morris and southern Passaic Counties which are at risk to river flooding. RAVEN operates primarily on the W2PQG Repeater: 146.700 mHz, -600, PL 141.3 .
Served Agencies
ARES services are available to government and other non-profit agencies during disasters or other emergency situations. The ARRL has statements of understanding to cooperate with:
| FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) |
| National Weather Service (NWS) |
| National Communications Systems (NCS) |
| Assoc. of Public Safety Communications Officers- Intl, Inc.( APSCO ) |
also the National Headquarters of:
| The American Red Cross |
| The Salvation Army |
Locally, ARES units support the following Red Cross chapters:
| Northwest NJ Chapter in Morristown |
| Colonial Crossroads Chapter - branch in Madison; HQ in Summit |
In addition to emergency services, many ARES units help with non-emergency, non-profit special events, both as a public service and to practice their communication skills. Typically these include marathons, bike races, festivals, parades, and First Night events.
ARES Nets
Emergency nets are formed when circumstances dictate. Please listen on the WS2Q repeater, 146.895 MHz (-600, PL 151.4) during times of possible or actual emergency.
For on-going news and practice, please listen to and check-in to the NNJ ARES net, which is held on the 2nd Monday of the month at 8 pm on the WS2Q repeater, 146.895 MHz (-600, PL 151.4).
Forms and Software Used in ARES
| ARES Field Service Forms - downloads from ARRL web site - including NTS radiogram, ARES registration, "Handy Operating Aid", Emergency Reference card. |
Links to Other ARES References or Web Sites
| Northern New Jersey Section of ARRL (covers Morris County) |
| Hudson Division of the ARRL (covers NNJ section) |
| ARRL Field Services (covers the Hudson Division) |
| ARRL "Public Service Communications Manual" - online or .PDF file or order printed copy- An overall source of basic information on the ARRL's public service communications program. Includes details on ARES and NTS. #PSCM |
| ARRL
"ARES Field Resources Manual" - order
printed copy A quick trainer and resource guide for the Emergency Communicator. #5439 |
| ARRL
Emergency Coordinator's Manual - order
printed copy Covers some of the finer points of Emergency Coordinator duties, as well as recruiting and obtaining the necessary resources to properly plan and implement effective emergency and disaster communications. #FSD9 |
| The
ARRL Net Directory -
online or order
printed copy Listings for hundreds of Amateur Radio nets of interest to North American hams, including local and statewide traffic, rag chew, maritime service, special-interest, fun, and public service nets. #7393 |
| Simplex Net Operation Procedures |
| National ARES Web Site - unofficial |
| Colorado ARES Plan |
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