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TRAINING

It is important that all emergency communicators possess basic communications skills to be of use to any organization we may be called upon to support. Additionally, emergency communicators need to practice these skills on a regular basis with other members of ARES to be proficient in them prior to an actual emergency. Practical Exercise Training is scheduled during the year to enable members to hone these skills.

Training is available from many sources as outlined in the previous chart. Most of this training is free of charge or available at a nominal fee. Members are encouraged to utilize this training to help develop skills required to be effective emergency radio communicators.

The absolute minimum training for emergency communicators is the ARRL's Introduction to Emergency Communications. Additionally, participation in the Annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET) as well as the Annual Red Cross Drill are very helpful in honing communications skills.

A basic understanding of the Incident Command System is important as public officials generally require support personnel to work within that structure.

Some of the NIMS/ICS courses require a classroom setting, but the majority of EmComm courses are available online. Vermont Emergency Management's Training Calendar shows what NIMS/ICS classes, as well as some VEM-sponsored drills and other events, are available locally.

The Resources page has a number of links to educational material not part of any particular course, but useful and interesting.

 

 

 

Section Manager
Paul Gayet, AA1SU

Assist. Section Manager
Matt Atwood, WE1H

Special Projects Officer
Jane English, KD6PCE

Civil Air Patrol Liaison
A.J. Murray, N1ZWL

Ralph Stetson III, KD1R

Affiliated Club Coord.
Allen Tinker, W1AAT

Official Observer Coord.
Linda Robinson, W1MP

Public Information Coord.
Chris Roy, KA1ZAD

Section Emergency Coord.
Fred Messer, WA1LIE

Assist. Sec. Emergency Coord.
R. Conway, N1WWW

Section Traffic Manager
Bruce Greenleaf, KF1Z

Technical Coord.
Mitch Stern, W1SJ

Webmaster
R. Conway, N1WWW

 

Training Options

ARRL Training Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courses are available online. The ARRL has revamped the Level I and II courses and combined them ino 1 unit, The former Level III is now an advanced emcomms leadership course aimed at those interested in leadership/managerial positions. Cost is roughly $50 for ARRLmembers/$85 for non-members.

  • Introduction to Emergency Communication—Course #: EC-001
           Description. This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. The course has 6 sections with 29 lesson topics. It includes required student activities, a 35-question final assessment and is expected to take approximately 45 hours to complete over a 9-week period. You will have access to the course platform at any time of day during this 9-week period so you may work according to your own schedule.
          Prerequisites. Before you begin the course you should have completed the following prerequisites. These courses provide a foundation for the content of this course. These are free mini-courses you can take online at http://training.fema.gov/IS/NIMS.asp.
    • ICS-100 (IS-100.b) (Introduction to the Incident Command System)
    • IS -700 (National Incident Management System)
  • Public Service and Emergency Communications Management —Course #: EC-016(EC-002)
           Description. This course is designed to train licensed Amateur Radio operators who will be in leadership and managerial roles organizing other volunteers to support public service activities and communications emergencies.
           Prerequisites. Before you begin the course you should have completed the following (required unless noted otherwise)
                  •ARRL EC-001 Intro to Emergency Communication (or Emergency Communications Level 1)

               And the following Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) courses:
    • ICS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System
    • ICS-200 ICS for Single Incidents and Initial Action Incidents
    • ICS-300, Intermediate Incident Command System, classroom (opt.)
    • IS-700 NIMS: An Introduction
    • IS-800 National Response Frameworkk
    • IS-240 Leadership & Influence
    • IS-241 Decision Making & Problem Solving
    • IS-250 Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF-15) External Affairs
    • IS-1 Emergency Manager, An Orientation to the Position
    • IS-288 The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management
    • IS-244 Developing and Managing Volunteers
    • IS-120.a An Introduction to Exercises
    • IS-130 Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning
    • IS-139 Exercise Design

FEMA Self Study ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The FEMa courses are the NIMS (ICS) courses. They are free, and most are available online. A certificate of completion is awarded at the succesful passing of the ending exam. LEPCs will frequently offer the classroom versions, again, at no cost.

  • FEMA Independent Study Courses
  • NIMS–IS-700—An overview of the National Incident Management System (3 hrs)
  • IS–100 (3 hrs)  & IS–200 (3 hrs) —Basic Incident Command System; IS–100 and 700 are often taken together as a bare minimum.

 

ARRL EmComm Course Graduates

The following list is current as of June 1, 2008, listed by county.

         Course(s)          Graduate

  • Addison County
    • EC-001, EC-002      Robin Conway, N1WWW; Shoreham, VT
    • EC-001      Henry Ingwersen, KT1J; Vergennes, VT
    • EC-001      Stephen Johnson, KB1IVE; Vergennes, VT
    • EC-001      Erle Wales, N1ZBJ; Weybridge, VT
  • Bennington County
    • EC-001      Randal Horn, AA1UN; Bennington, VT
  • Caledonia County
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      Stephen Jeffrey, W1NEK; St Johnsbury, VT
    • EC-001      John Kleespies, N1OBQ; Danville, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      Eugene Wheeler, KA2QQY; Lyndonville, VT
  • Chittenden County
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003, EC-003R2      Robert Brown, W4YFJ; Essex Jct, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002     Ronald Gauthier, N1LDT; Essex Jct, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      David Murray, KD1BL; Cambridge, VT
    • EC-001      Linda Robinson, W1MP; Milton, VT
    • EC-001      Edwin Shipley, N1PEA; Essex Junction, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      Mitchell Stern, W1SJ; Essex Jct, VT
  • Franklin County
    • EC-001, EC-002      William Walker, W1WAW; Saint Albans, VT
  • Lamoille County
      EC-001      Robert Lencke, KB1GLL; Lake Elmore, VT
    • EC-001      Arnold Ziegel, W2HDI; Stowe, VT
  • Orange County
      EC-001      William Burden, WB1BRE; Strafford, VT
    • EC-001      William Wallace, N1EMF; Thetford Center, VT
  • Orleans County
    • EC-001      Arnold Uttin, K1BVT; Barton, VT
  • Rutland County
    • EC-001      Gerard Ashton, WY2Y; Castleton, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      Janet Carini, KB1DSR; Bomoseen, VT
    • EC-001      Francis D'Auria, W1AD; Rutland, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      John Gladding, N1HLG; N Clarendon, VT
    • EC-001      Christine Hagopian, N6EUP; Wallingford, VT
    • EC-001      David Hagopian, KD6RA; Wallingford, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      Ann Mary Rosenbrock, AB1CH; Center Rutland, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      Richard Schisler, WB2RUM; Mendon, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002, EC-003      William Sharp, N1PCC; Rutland, VT
    • EC-001      Benford Tredwell, N1UKK; Poultney, VT
  • Washington County
    • EC-001      Jane English, KD6PCE; Calais, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      Avi Freund, K1AKF; Northfield, VT
    • EC-001      Edward Hutchinson, N1FMP; Plainfield, VT
    • EC-001      Zachary Manganello, K1ZK; Montpelier, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      Frederick Messer, WA1LIE; Waitsfield, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      Josette Messer, KB1EPT; Waterbury, VT
    • EC-001, EC-002      Allen Tinker, W1AAT; Waitsfield, VT
  • Windham County
    • EC-001      John Borichevsky, N1TOX; Brattleboro, VT
    • EC-001      Darrel Daley, K1KU; Putney, VT
    • EC-001      Burton Eldridge, W1ZS; Brattleboro, VT
  • Windsor County
    • EC-001      Robert Mather, N1XSS; Chester, VT
    • EC-001      Michael Maynard, K1IH; White River Jct, VT
    • EC-001      Gordon Pugh, W2NH; Athens, VT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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