Amateur Radio Public Service
Public service communication has been a traditional responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service since 1913. In today's Amateur Radio, disaster work is a highly organized and worthwhile part of day-to-day operation, implemented principally through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS), both sponsored by ARRL. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), independent nets and other amateur public service groups are also a part of ARRL-recognized Amateur Radio public service efforts.
ARRL has several publications that can help you in your public-service activities. Find out about them in the Public Service section of the ARRL Publications Catalog.
Badges
Official ARRL Badges can be ordered for Division appointees, Section appointees, QSL Bureau Managers/Workers, Technical Advisors, Volunteer Counsels, Volunteer Consulting Engineers, Volunteer Examiners, ARRL Monitoring System appointees, Awards Managers, DXCC Field Reps, Educational Advisors, Registered Instructors and Life Members.
Awards
Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award
ARRL International Humanitarian Award
Resources
Forms
A number of FSD forms are available:
- Leadership Officials Requisition Form
- FSD-3 (ARRL Numbered Radiograms)
- FSD-98 (ARES Registration Form)
- FSD-157 (Public Service Activity Report)
- FSD-187 (Application for Station Appointment)
- FSD-218 (Amateur Message Form)
- FSD-220 (Handy Operating Aid)
- FSD-255 (Emergency Reference Information Card)
- SET Guidelines
- Form A: EC SET Report
- Form B: NM SET Report
- Form C: EC Annual Report
- ARRL Radiogram Form
- Red Cross 2079-I
Public Service Communications Manual
The ARRL Public Service Communications Manual (PSCM) serves as an overall source of basic information on the League's public service communications program. Comprising 61 pages in its printed (PDF) form, the PSCM is available via ARRLWeb in two formats:
- the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) Public Service Communications Manual serves as your online Web reference on Amateur Radio public service
- The Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Public Service Communications Manual (603,178 bytes, available via HTTP and FTP [ftp://ftp.arrl.org/pub/field/pscm.pdf]), allows you to print camera-ready-quality local copies of the PSCM. To view and print pscm.pdf, you'll need version 2.1 or higher of Adobe Systems Inc's free Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer. (If you've already configured your browser to use Adobe Acrobat as a viewer and just want to save pscm.pdf to disk locally instead of spawning the viewer, pressing Shift as you click on the HTTP or FTP PSCM hyperlink will give you that option in Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer and NCSA Mosaic.)
National Traffic System Methods and Practices Guidelines
The NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines (NTS MPG), is attached to the ARRL Public Service Communications Manual (PSCM) as Appendix B, and is the working reference manual on Traffic Net and Message Handling Procedures in the NTS. It shall be the uniform reference standard for STMs, Section/Local NMs and Area Staff members.
Special Events Communications Manual
Hams are, of course, well known for their communications support of relief agencies in disaster and post-disaster situations. They also provide a plethora of communication services on a "preventive medicine" basis to the public during special events and put on Amateur Radio demonstrations and displays, beneficial to Amateur Radio's public image.
The purpose of this manual is to give you some tips, and suggestions to assist you in planning your special-event communications efforts. Hopefully, it will help you provide dependable and effective Amateur Radio communications for the public, and win some important brownie points for Amateur Radio in your community.
The ARES Field Resources Manual
The ARES Field Resources Manual is a quick trainer and field resource guide for the emergency communicator. It's available here as a Adobe Portable Document Format file: aresman.pdf (439,361 bytes). You'll need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader to view and print the manual.
Other Resources
Other Public Service References
-
National Traffic System Common Texts for Messages
Thanks to the Montana Traffic Net for compiling this reference guide. This list is organized by the call sign of the message’s originator.
- NOAA Public Alert Radio Program for Schools
- Portable Tower
- ARES® Groups and Use of Registered Trademarks (19,183 bytes, PDF file)
- Emergency Communications Declarations in the Amateur Radio Service
- Fire Shelters Weaken Transmissions from Hand Held Radios (210,239 bytes, PDF file)
This article, by Ted Etter,
appeared in the December 2003 issue of "Fire Tech Tips," and is posted with permission from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
- The ARRL Technical Information Service has plenty of information on the ARRL Web that's
applicable to all phases of Amateur Radio including emergency and
public-service communication issues and emergency stations. For example:
-
The Lightning Protection
page contains links to the four-part 1986 QST article series on
"Electromagnetic Pulse and the Radio Amateur," and information on
lightning protection.
- The Emergency/Alternative Power page has
links to resources and articles related to emergency and alternative power.
- Emergency Applications of Winlink 2000
Read about Winlink 2000 and the emergency/public service communications applications that it offers.
- Details on the Public Service Honor Roll.
- "9/11/01: This is Not a Test." - This article reports on how Amateur Radio operators responded to the tragedies of September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
- Understanding Wireless Communications in Public Safety Guidebook Now Available
- Public Service Don'ts and Do's.
Page last modified: 03:05 PM, 07 Feb 2008 ET
Page author: sewald@arrl.org
Copyright © 2008, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
