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As recent events have underscored, most of us don't need to be reminded that Amateur Radio operators are in a unique position to provide emergency communications. Hams donate tens of thousands of hours each year providing communications in actual civil emergencies, drills, parades and marathons. The Public Service branch of ARRL Field and Educational Services coordinates the efforts of the hams who actually perform the services.
A primary responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service, as established by the Federal Communications Commission, is the rendering of public service communication for the general public, particularly in times of emergency. Hams responded immediately to the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, for instance.
It is significant that Part 97 of the FCC's Rules and Regulations states, as the first principle under "Basis and Purpose":
"Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary non-commercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications."
The ARRL has been serving the public, both directly and through government and relief agencies almost since its inception. To that end the League created the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the National Traffic System. ARES and NTS are the League's implementation of the FCC's basic principle.
In the early years of Amateur Radio, this service was rendered spontaneously and on an individual basis. But by 1935, ARRL had established the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and in 1949, the National Traffic System (NTS). Today, ARES consists of approximately 40,000 licensed amateurs who have registered their availability for emergency operation in the public interest.
Amateurs who wish to offer their assistance in either of these services will find complete information on ARES and NTS on ARRLWeb.
As technology has improved the reliability of communications, it has also added a level of complexity to the art. Amateurs who wish to be skilled communicators must now be more knowledgeable in these new technologies than ever before. To assist Section Managers and other volunteers in maintaining their skills and understanding public service responsibilities, ARRL has published several training manuals. They contain the distillation of years of experience in recruiting, organizing and operating an effective emergency services unit. The four major publications are the Public Service Communications Manual, The ARRL Emergency Coordinator's Manual, ARES Field Resources Manual and The ARRL Net Directory. They can be purchased directly from ARRL.
Any amateur who is interested in learning what traffic handling and emergency traffic sound like on the air will find The ARRL Net Directory a particularly useful resource. It lists national, regional and local nets--their names, frequencies and times of operation. There is a section on digital nets, including CLOVER, PACTOR and PACTOR II, and there are several pages of charts, Q signals, radiograms and other operating aids.
ARRL Public Service Specialist Steve Ewald, WV1X, the editor of these books, also writes a monthly column--Public Service--in QST. In this column he reports news of ARRL members involved in public service activities and gives synopses of traffic handling activities as reported by the field managers. "ARRL's primary mission is to provide a venue to publicize activities of clubs and other organizations that aid the public," says Ewald.
Amateurs who are interested in becoming experienced Emergency Communications operators can take courses in the subject using ARRL study guides. Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Courses--are available on-line or in a classroom setting. Continuing education credits can be earned upon completion of the courses.
Simulated Emergency Test
The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is a nationwide exercise in emergency communications, administered by ARRL Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers. Both ARES and NTS are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within a community while interacting with NTS nets. If you are interested in going beyond simply monitoring net communications, learn about SET and then find your ARRL Section Manager to offer your services for this SET. You will then be in a better position to decide whether Public Service Amateur Radio is for you.
A Reward
 Hurricane Watch Net manager Jerry Herman, N3BDW, recipient of the 2000 ARRL International Humanitarian Award. For 20 years participants in the net have been providing information to the National Hurricane Center to augment the Center's routine information network. Hams have provided this service despite the obvious dangers involved in being close to one of nature's most spectacular phenomena--the hurricane. |
Although public service is usually a group activity, the group's efforts often go unsung, the reward being a job well done., ARRL has, however, found a way to acknowledge outstanding public service. The Humanitarian award is presented annually to a radio amateur or group of amateurs who, by use of Amateur Radio skills, has provided extraordinary service in times of crisis or disaster.
Ties to Other Organizations
Trained Amateur Radio communicators assist emergency service organizations by providing their services while leaving the organization free to provide the emergency relief--food, nursing and other services--which are their major strengths. To ensure that voluntary communication services are provided in the most efficient manner, ARRL has established formal Memoranda of Understanding with the major public Service organizations. MOUs have been established with The Salvation Army, The American National Red Cross, The National Weather Service, The Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Society of Broadcast Engineers, Inc, and The National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers, Inc.
These MOUs make it clear that ARRL will serve in a cooperative manner with each of these agencies, providing only those communications services that have been agreed upon in advance.
Other ARRL Public Service Resources
In times of emergency, ARRL can call upon two other resources--W1AW and ARRLWeb--for the dissemination of high priority information. W1AW is the official bulletin station of the ARRL. Its transmitters are available to disseminate bulletins relating to severe weather, earthquakes or any other natural disaster. The FCC may, for instance, ask radio amateurs to remain clear of certain frequencies so they may be used for emergency communications. That information will be relayed immediately to the ARRL field organization via W1AW. The station has its own standby power so that it can remain on the air for days without reliance on outside power.
If necessary, ARRLWeb can also be called upon to deliver written as well as visual information, but of course that service depends on wire-line transmission via an Internet service provider.
Past President and now ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, summed up public service this way: "It is particularly important to emphasize public service as the means by which we are able to contribute meaningfully to the relief of suffering of our fellow human beings, to the promotion of humanity in the global village which our civilization has become, and to the protection and enhancement of Amateur Radio's primary asset--our portion of the electromagnetic spectrum--the canvas on which our contributions are painted."
