Emergency Coordinator Requirements & Responsibilities

Requirements

Technician-class license or higher; full ARRL membership, and achievement of Level 3 qualifications. (Must, within the period of 1 year, from the issuance of this document or appointment as EC, whichever comes later, or such further time period as authorized by the SM, complete all of the requirements for Level 3 qualification.)

Responsibilities

• Promote and enhance the activities of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) for the benefit of the public as a voluntary, non-commercial communications service.  
  
  
• Manage and coordinate the training, organization, and emergency participation of interested amateurs working in support of the communities, agencies, or functions designated by the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)/Section Manager (SM).  
  
  
• Establish viable working partnerships with federal, state, county, city governmental and/or private agencies in the ARES jurisdictional area that needs the services of ARES in emergencies.  
  
  
• Identify and work collaboratively with local partners to assess how ARES can assist them with their mission, ensuring partners are aware of the limitations and capabilities of ARES.  
  
  
• Develop detailed local operational plans, with partner agency officials in the jurisdiction that set forth precisely what expectations are during an ARES activation. Work jointly with partners to establish relationships based on mutual trust and respect. All matters involving recruitment and utilization of ARES participants are directed by the EC, in response to the needs assessed by the agency officials. Technical issues involving message format, security of message transmission, disaster welfare inquiry policies, and others, should be reviewed and expounded upon in the ARES detailed local operations plans.  
  
  
• Establish local communications networks that run on a regular basis, and periodically test those networks by conducting realistic drills.  
  
  
• Work with the SEC and District Emergency Coordinators (DECs) to identify potential local shortcomings and define resources that may need to be drawn from adjacent ARES groups in support of a local emergency or disaster.  
  
  
• Establish an emergency traffic plan, with welfare traffic inclusive, utilizing the National Traffic System (NTS) as one active component for traffic handling. Establish an operational liaison with local and section nets, particularly for handling welfare traffic in an emergency situation.  
  
  
• Work with other Amateur Radio public service groups, organizations or programs to establish relationships of mutual trust and respect, and a coordination mechanism for the good of the public and Amateur Radio. The goal is to foster an efficient and effective Amateur Radio response overall.  
  
  
• Work for growth in the local ARES program, making it a stronger, more valuable resource and hence able to meet more of the agencies’ local needs.  
  
  
• Collect and consolidate your activities and activities of your ARES members each month, and submit monthly progress summaries to the Section Emergency Coordinator. Provide timely reporting of emergency and public safety communications rendered in the Section for potential inclusion in ARRL media relations activities.  

Link to ARRL's Emergency Coordinator webpage