BASIC GEAR/RESPONDING UNIT DEFINITIONS

All responding amateurs must be prepared to be self sufficient for at least 24 hours. You must know your own capabilities and make sure you don't exceed them. You must be accountable for your own safety. Don't be a victim!

BASIC EQUIPMENT (Required for District 22 responders)

  • Appropriate clothing for weather and conditions
    • ARES Uniform Shirt
    • Change of clothing
    • Cap
  • Heavy soled leather boots
  • Leather gloves
  • Hard Hat
  • Dust/Face Mask (Prefer NIOSH approved as Type N95 respirator)
  • Safety Vest
  • Safety goggles
  • Rain gear, including
    • Boots
    • Poncho or rain suit
    • Socks
  • Flashlight with spare batteries and bulbs
  • Maps (regional, city, county, etc)
  • Money, including change for pay telephones
  • Clipboard, paper, pens and pencils (very important)
  • Personal items
  • First Aid Kit, including:
    • Adhesive Bandages
    • Sterile Gauze Pads
    • Adhesive Tape
    • Large Gauze Compress
    • Gauze Roll
  • Photo ID card (drivers license, ARES ID, County SO issued ID, etc.)
  • Water and food (for at least 24 hrs)
  • AM/FM radio
  • Pocket knife/watch
  • District 22 Log sheets/Message Forms
  • ICS Forms
  • District 22 Emergency Response Plan
  • COPLAN
  • Spare fuses
  • Reliable transportation and a full tank of gasoline

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT (suggested for field deployment)

  • Electrical tape/duct tape
  • Portable 2 meter or dual band antenna (J-pole, etc.)
  • Magnetic mount with 5/8 wave whip (dual band preferred)
  • 50 ft. (min) coax cable
  • 50 ft. (min) nylon cord
  • Coax connectors and adapters
  • Batteries (deep cycle, gel cell, alkaline, etc)
  • Compass and/or GPS
  • 12-volt power cables
  • Cigarette Lighter connector
  • Battery clips
  • 12 volt lighting
  • Push up mast
  • 120-volt extension cords
  • Antennas
    • 2 Meter Beam
    • 440 Beam
    • HF NVIS Antenna
  • First Aid Kit
  • Tool Box
  • Bug Spray!
  • Sunscreen lotion
  • Auto Jumper Cables

Amateur operators will need to provide specific equipment when responding to a disaster. Each amateur's capabilities can be defined as a STRIKE TEAM. Net Control will ask for certain STRIKE TEAM capabilities when assigning amateurs to duty stations. In all cases, handy talky (HT) and Mobile refer to 2-meter transceivers. UHF units can be very useful and should be brought along if available.

PORTABLE UNIT (minimum required for District 22 members)
  • Basic Equipment
  • Hand Held transceiver
  • Spare HT batteries (alkaline battery pack recommended)
  • Hot rod antenna or equivalent
  • Speaker/microphone,
  • Earphone or headset
MOBILE STRIKE TEAM
  • Basic Equipment
  • Car mounted mobile or HT with 12v adapter
  • External antenna
BASE UNIT
Basic Equipment
  • HT with speaker microphone or headset, or mobile radio
  • Portable antenna system
  • 12 volt power supply
  • 12v DC power cord with high capacity battery
  • Generator if needed
PACKET STRIKE TEAM
Basic Equipment Home or portable VHF packet system Printer and printer supplies, including paper and ribbons
RELAY STRIKE TEAM
  • Basic Equipment
  • Home or mobile HF station
  • Cross-band VHF/UHF mobile station
ATV STRIKE TEAM
  • ATV Transmitter
  • ATV Downconverter
  • UHF Beam Antenna
  • Camera
  • Video Tape(s)