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 Previous: ARRL Volunteers, PRB-1 Help Midwestern Amateurs Get Tower Permits |  Next: Surfin': Got Noise? |
Covering December 2004
ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, has firmed up some of his travel plans under the third and final year of the ARRL's grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. In February, he will offer a presentation at the Hurricane Watch Net Conference in Miami, followed by an Amateur Radio exhibit at the National Emergency Management Association convention in Washington, DC. In March, Miller will present the emergency communications seminar in conjunction with the ARRL Louisiana State Convention.
Miller reiterates the point, recently brought home in the wake of the earthquake/tsunami disaster in Southern Asia, that hams play a vital role in times of disaster and emergency. "Please encourage everyone--especially radio amateurs 55 and over--to take the Level I Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course," he urged. "With full reimbursement of the registration fee for ARRL members, the training is virtually free--but only for one more year." He encouraged those who have already completed Level I to further their knowledge by completing Levels II and Level III. Tuition is reimbursable for all three course levels. "The demand for trained Amateur Radio operators continues to grow at a phenomenal rate," he emphasized. "By completing the emergency communications training, you are reinforcing the lifeblood of Amateur Radio--emergency communications."
A grant from ARRL's corporate partner, United Technologies Corporation, will continue to subsidize Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course training until the end of 2005. Total graduates for Year Two (calendar year 2004) of the UTC grant-sponsored classes numbered 1046, surpassing the goal of 1000.
With Year 3 comes the final opportunity for interested ARRL members to take this training and receive full reimbursement of registration fees.
ARRL provides grant-funded tuition reimbursement for ARRL-member US Amateur Radio operators wishing to receive emergency communication training through ARRL's Certification and Continuing Education program. The third year of CNCS reimbursement will cover the tuition expense of more than 1700 amateurs successfully completing the ARECC courses.
In 2002, ARRL proposed to the Corporation for National and Community Service that the League could greatly expand its emergency communications training program with grant funding. The training is currently supported by the third year of a three-year, $540,000 federal homeland security grant from CNCS. The League was among several dozen nonprofit organizations designated to receive about $10.3 million in federal money to boost homeland defense volunteer programs. During the first year of the grant--September 2002 through August 2003--2225 emergency communication volunteers started the Level I course through the grant-funded program, and 1676 completed the training, a 75% completion rate. In the second year, ending August 31, 2004, there were 1937 graduates, also a 75% graduation rate.
"A good number of people have told us that without the grant, they would not have participated in the training," Miller said. "The CNCS grant is doing exactly what it was intended to do: provide a larger group of trained emergency communications people able to support a number of official agencies in a time of need."
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for all Americans to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Members and volunteers serve with national and community nonprofit organizations, and local agencies to help meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security and other critical areas. Senior citizens are especially encouraged to get involved.
"Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communication" is a basic Amateur Radio Emergency Communication course (ARECC) to raise awareness and provide practical knowledge for amateur emergency communication volunteers.
The course includes basic message handling, equipment and use, the incident command structure, and operations and logistics, among other topics. This course has 23 lesson units and takes about 25 hours to complete over an 8-week period; there are also intermediate and advanced courses available for further study and training. Continuing education units are available.
Levels II and III continue the student's education in emergency communications, giving additional instruction in net control, liaising with public safety officials, severe weather and hospital communications, large-scale disasters, ARES, federal planning and much more.
IN THE NEWS:
Community Education Project
CEP Coordinator Bill Barrett, W1WJB, made a presentation to the mayor and other city officials in Danbury, Connecticut, providing useful insight for the presentations he'll be making to the 12 localities taking part in the program. Afterward, the mayor, who saw hams in action during a recent blackout, commented: "Anything for you hams!"
Barrett crafted two CEP handouts: a set of guidelines for local hams who will assist at his talks, and a handout on how we expect local hams will interact with Citizen Corps Councils after the talks.
His first talk, to town officials in Saco, Maine, will be January 26.
The ARRL received a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) of nearly $90,000 to develop the pilot Community Education Project. Under the Project, the 12 communities will learn about the value of Amateur Radio to community safety and security.
A Letter from India
Following the disaster in Southern Asia, we received a letter from a ham in Bangalore, India, inquiring about the ARRL emergency communications course. It read, in part:
With reference to the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course, we wish to know if you have some method to take part in the course and procedures via the internet for us hams in Bangalore. I am a member of the Amateur Radio Society of South India, and hams from Bangalore have been very active in the emergency situation in the Andamans and the state of Tamil Nadu. The situation is still grim, and hams continue to render support in relief work in these places.
The idea behind this request is to improve ourselves in such situations, and be better prepared in the future.
Thanks and regards,
Dasharathi K V, VU2DKV
Dan Miller responded, in part:
Thank you for your interest in the ARRL emergency communications online courses. Yes, our online courses are available to anyone with Internet access.
We are very sorry for the problems currently being experienced in your country and all the others affected by the terrible tsunami disasters. Amateur Radio has indeed proven its worth once again, but there is still more need for international awareness and additional training for all hams to better prepare for the inevitable.
We've had many students from other countries including Turkey, Indonesia, Canada, France, Germany, Puerto Rico, etc. Like you, their purposes have been to benefit from our training because there is simply no training offered at home.
We have mentor/instructors ready and willing to assist students in any country to make your learning experience the very best possible. They are also taking notes on how better to focus the current Student Activities toward the needs of other countries.
Again, thanks for all your great efforts during this terrible time following the worst natural disaster we may ever encounter in our lifetime. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you.
Vy 73,
Dan Miller, K3UFG, Emergency Communications Course Manager
ARRL Opens EmComm Courses
December saw the opening of all three levels of ARRL's grant-sponsored Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Courses. Registration opened December 6 for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course (EC-001). Class began December 24. Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II on-line course (EC-002) opened December 13, and class began December 31. Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course (EC-003) opened December 20, and class was to begin January 7. The Level I course was filled after only 12 hours.
Radio amateurs 55 and over are strongly encouraged to participate. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
Editor's Note: If you would like to join the
ranks of our dedicated volunteer mentor/instructors, please send an e-mail to
cce@arrl.org. We will send you our Mentor
Familiarization Package and some additional instructions. New mentors are
always welcome because they are indeed the lifeblood of the emergency
communications training program.
| Previous: ARRL Volunteers, PRB-1 Help Midwestern Amateurs Get Tower Permits | Next: Surfin': Got Noise? |
