ARES Letter for October 19, 2006

The ARES E-Letter
Special Edition, October 19, 2006
================= 

Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor

<http://www.qrz.com/database?callsign=K1CE>,
<http://www.iaru-r2emcor.net/>

===================================
ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
comments: <k1ce@arrl.net>;;; 
===================================

SPECIAL EDITION: RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE (RACES)

+ THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY

There is no RACES program here in our county, nor is there RACES in
our Northern Florida Section. We have, simply, the ARES program
serving emergency management and its EOC. We have active Skywarn,
CERT, and REACT programs. There is use of GMRS here as well. But, no
RACES program. This is not the case in parts of the rest of the
country.

+ RACES: RELIC OR RELEVANT?

In the August issue, I posed the question of the continuing viability
of the RACES program, which in 1952 was established by the federal
government in the context of the cold war as a means of allowing
registered, certified RACES radio amateurs to remain on the air on
restrictive frequencies for government-restricted communications
only, after other radio amateurs were put off the air for war-time
purposes.

Historically, there have been major differences (and confusion)
between ARES and RACES, not one of the least being that RACES
operators were under the thumb of the government, where ARES (an ARRL
program) operators were not. Some government entities seemed happier
to assert their control and command over their hand-picked RACES
operators. But, there were frequency restrictions incompatible with
amateurs' own band plans, and narrow time limits on drills to reduce
the risk of governments usurping Amateur Radio for routine
communications. Also, RACES had to be formally activated by the
government entity before RACES communications could be conducted.
ARES operators on the other hand were not bound by these limitations,
but some emergency management agencies would not use ARES operators
because they were not government-controlled.

For more than half a century, radio amateurs (and government
agencies) asked: Do we go ARES? RACES? Or, both?

In the best cases, local amateurs were signed up for both ARES and
RACES, with the ARES EC and the RACES Radio Officer (RO) being one
and the same person. This allowed for maximum flexibility, seamless
transitions as needed, and perhaps most importantly, cohesiveness and
unity of the local Amateur Radio emcomm community. They simply
switched hats as necessary. In the worst cases, local separate ARES
and RACES organizations fought bitterly and competed with one
another. Sometimes they were all thrown out of EOCs: The government
communications managers simply didn't have the time for it.

Over the years, RACES frequencies were more harmonized with amateurs'
own band plans, and now, just a few days ago, the FCC deleted the
RACES frequency restrictions all together. The unwritten part of the
FCC's Report and Order says that the agency still believes the RACES
program serves a useful purpose in its regulatory scheme - otherwise,
they would have simply eliminated the RACES rules completely, hence
the program, and we all know how much the FCC embraces deregulation.

In response to the question posed in the August issue, a hurricane of
responses flooded my e-mail in-box. Some were unprintable! But, many
lucid reports came in on RACES programs across the country. While not
a scientific survey, anecdotally they present a rough picture of the
program to serve as the basis for further discussion. I want to thank
all of those who filed reports, and encourage readers to send in
their reactions to the reports presented below. - K1CE
_____________


+ RACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

ARIZONA

All RACES members in Cochise County (Arizona) are automatically
enrolled as ARES members. There are mutual aid agreements between the
various counties. If a county within the state requires assistance,
our county will activate our RACES/ARES unit (we are 100 percent
integrated) and we deploy the necessary resources to the affected
region. Most of the RACES units are sponsored by county level
governments and there is also a state level organization. One of the
benefits of these official sponsors is that we are covered by Workers
Compensation and liability immunity.

Organizing as a joint RACES/ARES unit in our area allows us to
support the local government as needed as well as honor the MOUs
established by the ARRL to such organizations as the Red Cross, etc.
-- Robert L. Hollister, N7INK, Cochise County RACES Officer/ARES DEC

I am a RACES manager in Pima County, Arizona. We are also the
regional RACES and Homeland Security hub for Southern Arizona. Many
of us feel we have too much responsibility and not enough manpower:
We are currently embarked on a project to interface and assist in
providing communications for Citizens Corps, further stretching us. 

There is a mystique about RACES being Federally authorized that
attracts state and local Government managers. I feel that being
locked in to activation only by our government agency is a handicap
both for us and for our clients. One advantage RACES has here is that
we are considered County employees covered by County insurance when
activated, but the County mindset is that they own us. ARES in Pima
County is a mission-less child. Overall, the RACES program in
Southern Arizona is successful and has wide recognition at local,
State and Federal levels. -- Joe Thompson, N3SRU

Arizona State RACES has little, if any, recognition of or cooperation
with ARES. However, in the counties, about 25% have no RACES at all.
Of the counties who have appointed RACES Radio Officers, most are
also ARES DECs. RACES Officers and members would appear to represent
about 0.5% of the Arizona ham population, with registered ARES
members representing 10-20%. Arizona has no major disasters and few
emergency callouts, except for an occasional shelter operation for a
wildfire. -- Bill Hosking, W7JSW, ASEC/DEC, Arizona


Here in Yavapai County, Arizona, the two once-separate groups (ARES
and RACES) were combined some years back. RACES, considered part of
Homeland Security, officially under FEMA, is coordinated by county
emergency management. -- Jim Clark, N5RO

Another perspective from Pima County: RACES enjoys a close
relationship with the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland
Security. It is through them that we are provided with abundant
resources such as new communications vans and trailers ($200+K) as
well as EOC radios and other equipment. We function much like reserve
employees given the use of facilities, secretarial support, and even
Workman's Compensation. Few of our resource requests go unfulfilled.
These resources are provided by our sponsoring agency because they
control usage and we have demonstrated responsiveness. If we sever
this control, we sever the resources. 

In my view, ARRL should convene a conference or study group to
investigate a major revision to the present FCC Part 97 to upgrade
Amateur Radio EMCOMM for the foreseeable future. Then lobby the FCC
for that change to the regulations. Or we could adopt what some
suggest and chew off our government arm to feed ourselves only with
our private one. After all, what does the Amateur Service owe to, or
need from, the government? -- Bill Hickey, AB7AA, Pima County RACES
Home Unit Manager


ARKANSAS

In our operations in Pulaski County, Arkansas, we show up when the
Emergency Managers (Little Rock, North Little Rock or Pulaski
Counties) activate RACES, but we operate in an ARES environment. The
EMs can check off the box in the report that says 'RACES' and we can
still operate. As others have mentioned, delete RACES and replace it
with an MOU between DHS/FEMA and ARRL to use ARES. -- Mark Barnhard,
KD5AIV, Little Rock, Arkansas <kd5aiv@arrl.net>;

FLORIDA

The Southern Florida Section ARES program has, for many years, worked
with county EMA sponsored RACES organizations. SFL ARES leadership
encourages dual membership for ARES and RACES. The same personnel
function in both organizations, switching hats, depending on the
situation. The ARES side performs the recruitment and training of
communicators and when an activation is declared, the RACES side
takes over, all with the same personnel. In some jurisdictions, the
county EC is also the RACES Radio Officer and in others, the EC and
RO are different people, but the EC is the assistant RO and the RO is
the assistant EC, working together as a team. ARES handles the
non-declared communication functions, such as public service events
and activations for localized situations. 

The emergency management agencies feel very comfortable with this
arrangement. The EMA provides funding that trickles down to the
ARES/RACES group for EOC station gear, repeaters and vehicles. They
provide uniform credentialing for radio operators and databases for
personnel and equipment. We provide them with a cadre of
professional, trained radio operators. 

ARES also works with Red Cross, NWS, APCO and the Salvation Army. In
closing, the ARES/RACES partnership in the SFL Section provides a
needed communication service for the citizens of South Florida and
beyond. -- Jeff Beals, WA4AW, ARRL Southern Florida Section Assistant
Section Manager, Section Emergency Coordinator

In the past, Sarasota (Florida) had a joint ARES/RACES program. They
were interchangeable programs with the same people, who switched hats
as needed. This avoided the conflicts of having two separate groups
providing the same services, and fighting over who's in charge.

Our group has been involved with other activities that don't fit in
either the ARES or RACES category. There were changes at Emergency
Management last year, and at that time, we decided to turn ARES/RACES
over to the "Auxiliary Communications Service." ACS is a better fit
to what it is we do, which consists of a lot more than just providing
communications support during disasters. -- Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ, EC
Sarasota County Auxiliary Communications Service
<http://www.saracs.org/>

HAWAII

In Hawaii, RACES and ARES are vital elements of the emergency
communications structure. Many times, the same amateurs are providing
community service under various hats, but make no mistake that in
Hawaii and on Oahu, RACES and Civil Defense support at the State and
County level are key to Amateur Radio. It is a mutually rewarding
partnership.

At the State level, RACES works closely with State Civil Defense
(SCD) to incorporate Amateur Radio at all of the main EOCs on each
island. <http://ronhashiro.htohananet.com/am-radio/hawaii/scd.html>

State RACES and the ARES SEC for Hawaii enjoy a working relationship
that includes joint operations during SET, the annual statewide
hurricane and tsunami exercises and other events. Hawaii offers an
example where RACES, ARES, ARRL members, Amateur Radio clubs and
individuals combine into teamwork and joint operations. -- Ron
Hashiro, AH6RH, State Civil Defense RACES Coordinator, SCD ARES EC,
Skywarn <http://ronhashiro.htohananet.com/am-radio/in-hawaii.html>

IDAHO

North Idaho operations are ARES. Being closer to Spokane than Boise,
for several years we have participated in regional SETs with the
Eastern Washington group, which is all ARES. A statewide RACES net
runs once a month. In the future we may have the county Disaster
Services unit issue certifications for RACES. We expect that the
RACES roster will be the same as the ARES roster. -- Geoff Billin,
KC7QCS, EC, Latah County, Idaho

ILLINOIS

Around Chicago, RACES is pretty much a non-entity, except as an
adjunct to CERT. In Naperville, we are considering setting up an
amateur group within the CERT program and, for convenience, calling
it RACES. The city emergency management agency is currently
registered as a RACES organization and the EMA has a contained
communications function. -- Garth Kennedy, W9KJ, OES, Captain and
Administrative Officer Naperville Emergency Management Agency

INDIANA

I am RACES Radio Officer for Hendricks County, Indiana, appointed by
the county EMA Director. His stated role for RACES in the county is
to provide severe weather spotting, radio communications support for
the county CERT and SAR teams, and for emergency response agencies
throughout the county when their own systems fail. To that end, I
work with the local Amateur Radio club to maintain a list of hams
prepared to serve the Emergency Management office when the EMA
Director calls. I am a member of ARES, and the ARES EC in my county
is a member of RACES. We support each other's activities. -- Bob
Burns, K4RXR, RO Hendricks County, Indiana RACES

Greene County, Indiana: I am the ARES EC and Assistant RO for RACES.
My Assistant EC is also the RO for RACES. It works well. Although
RACES and ARES are two different organizations, we have an agreement
that identifies when each are deployed. ARES can function and deploy
without the EMA Director's authority for many pre-disaster events.
Once a disaster has been declared and the EMA Director has directed
RACES to deploy, they do so and become unpaid employees of the County
and are covered by the liability and workman's compensation
insurance. Several of the surrounding counties are operating the same
way. We are in the process of developing a six county mutual aid
agreement -- Dave Love, W9XTZ

LOUISIANA

Iberville Parish, Louisiana RACES is not affiliated with ARRL or ARES
nor does it exclusively use Amateur Radio. In fact, the "A" in our
RACES title stands for Auxiliary, open to anyone, licensed or not,
and members may be tasked to use radios on the Public Service, Public
Works, Ham, GMRS or Marine frequencies as needed. - C. Steve Raacke,
KC5SAS <kc5sas@hotmail.com>;
 
MASSACHUSETTS

I am the Emergency Management Director for Southwick, Massachusetts,
a town in southwestern Massachusetts. I am also Director of RACES and
hold ARES appointments of Assistant Emergency Coordinator. The
Southwick Emergency Management Agency has seven active RACES members.
Each month, a local RACES radio drill is held, preceding the
Massachusetts State Emergency Management RACES Drill, which is held
on repeaters throughout the State for all 352 communities.
Unfortunately, not all Massachusetts communities have RACES
operators. Many Hampden County (Western Massachusetts) communities
are active RACES. The State of Massachusetts Emergency Management
Agency is a strong supporter of RACES with all four MEMA Regional
Headquarters RACES active, as well as the State EOC in Framingham. --
Charles H. Dunlap, K1II, Director of Emergency Management, and RACES
<http://www.southwick-ema.org/>

NEW YORK

The Saratoga County (NY) RACES Association Inc., is an auxiliary of
the county RACES group to provide radio amateurs. I am RACES Radio
Officer and EC for ARES. However, local government will not call out
our operators because of the insurance liability issue. All of our
emcomm activity is due to our ability to activate as ARES. We go out
and provide the necessary assistance in time of need without call up
of county government. Maybe it is time for the FCC to redesign that
section of the rules to provide for ARES activity and do away with
the RACES section all together. -- David Atwell, N2FEP, EC/RO
Saratoga County, New York

Suffolk County, Long Island (NY) ARES and RACES work hand in hand.
Each EC for the ten Towns of Suffolk County is also the Radio Officer
for their respective Town. Most ARES members are also RACES members.
During an emergency when RACES is invoked we simply switch hats. -
John Blowsky, KB2SCS, <kb2scs@arrl.net>;

NORTH CAROLINA

Here in North Carolina, ARES and RACES are the same. Some counties
use us as ARES and some as RACES. The main benefits to the ham in
those counties that use them as RACES are Workman's Compensation
Coverage, and Tort Claim Coverage. This is because the counties treat
the volunteers as county employees, like their volunteer firemen. It
is seamless when we change from one hat to the other. -- Ronnie
Reams, WA4MJF, OES, Area 7, North Carolina ARES/RACES

OHIO

Toledo, Ohio, is all ARES with no RACES organization. Everything is
handled under the ARES "hat" including duties that RACES would
normally handle. - Brent Stover, WD8PNZ, Lucas County and Wood County
ARES

OKLAHOMA

In RACES in Oklahoma, we do have mutual assistance: I can request
under State law a resource from any of the other 76 county
governments. The sending agency retains some controls (recall rights,
for example) while the receiving agency gets command and control.

Crossing state lines, my County resources can be mustered to other
States through a process called EMAC (Emergency Management Assistance
Compact) <http://www.emacweb.org/>. This process was used during
Katrina quite successfully. I expect it to be used more. There are
protections in place for responders responding under EMAC that are
NOT afforded to others who may self-deploy.

Therefore, the local county RACES volunteers (who, for the most part
are ARES members and some also are MARS members) can be dispatched to
hurricane country all through the mutual aid process. -- Lloyd
Colston, KC5FM, Mayes County Emergency Management, Pryor, Oklahoma
<http://mayescem.us/>; <http://lloyd.colston.com/>

TEXAS

Here in Texas our State Emergency Management center still goes by
RACES even though it has been decimated by lack of attention. When
there is a call-up, it is the local ARES that responds to the need.
The DEM clings to RACES and is unwilling to work with local ARES.
Until they get guidance from FEMA or DHS that they may indeed use
ARES instead of continuing the RACES program, these issues will exist
in Texas.

We have been promoting a dual membership program, but we feel that
RACES should be eliminated and all RACES operations be transferred to
ARES. Perhaps BOTH ARES and RACES should be eliminated and a new
organization that is a combination of both be created. -- Lee Cooper,
W5LHC, Assistant EC, Travis and Williamson County ARES; Williamson
County RACES Liaison Officer (alternate)

VERMONT

Here in Vermont, there is only one officially sanctioned statewide
emergency Amateur Radio communications program: the Vermont Emergency
Management RACES. Vermont enjoys strong affiliations with RACES
organizations in the neighboring states of Hew Hampshire and New
York. VEM-RACES is currently discussing an MOU with the Vermont ARES
organization. ARES provides support to VEM-RACES during official
activations. VEM-RACES also suggests and encourages all VEM-RACES
members to maintain dual membership in both organizations, but the
VEM-RACES is the backbone of Vermont's amateur emergency
communications. Due to a stringent application process, all members
have been screened and are all officially cleared and authorized to
serve the State in restricted and/or secure areas. While RACES may be
dormant in some sections of the nation, in Vermont RACES remains
strong and durable. -- David E. Cain, W1DEC, VEM-RACES Coordinator

VIRGINA

Virginia RACES is alive and well, and contracted to provide trained
emergency operators at hospitals in central and southern Virginia on
installed equipment provided by FEMA. We are trained with hospital
personnel. - Bill Ware, KE3AD

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin ARES/RACES is ONE -- why don't we take all the letters used
in ARES/RACES and call it CARES Combined Amateur Radio Emergency
Services. -- Bill Hollister, K9WH

+ CONCLUSIONS:

Bob Hollister, N7INK, agreed with the conclusion reached in the Level
III ARECC Course concerning RACES and ARES: "Both RACES and ARES
serve a purpose in the world of emergency communications, each with
its own strengths and weaknesses. Amateurs should consider membership
in both organizations to ensure that the community's interests are
served, whatever the situation."

Ward Silver, N0AX, EC Vichon County, Washington, had this to say: The
question should not be, "Is RACES viable", but, "Is there a mission
sufficiently distinct from that of ARES to justify a separate
organization?" That the question is being asked at all indicates that
the RACES mission is either not well understood or has diminished in
relative importance. In either case, the RACES mission needs to be
reviewed along with the consequences of combining the ARES and RACES
organizations. For example, while the two groups may be very similar
operationally, the requirements for reporting, certification, or
security may be quite different, making a separate organization the
most efficient way to carry out the RACES mission. The MARS
organization has just undergone a similar review and is changing its
mission to meet new requirements. The same should be done for RACES -
but top-down so that latent or implied requirements are included in
the review. The time consumed by a top-down mission review can be
frustrating in the face of immediate emcomm needs, but not nearly as
frustrating and wasteful as an incomplete or ineffective
reorganization that fails to identify all of the mission
requirements. 

+ K1CE FOR A FINAL

The above reports and conclusions were not presented as an end to the
discussion of an important and venerable program, but as a possible
beginning of further discussion and promotion of harmonization among
the various facets of Amateur Radio's overall emcomm function. 

Again, while not a scientific survey, I think the above suggests that
RACES retains its relevance today, especially when considered with
the FCC's recent implicit and explicit endorsement of the program.
FEMA should also be considered in the RACES picture, as it is a
co-partner with the FCC in program responsibility. It would be
interesting to hear what the agency has to say about the RACES
program today. I'll see if I can found out, and report back to you. -
73, Rick, K1CE