Amateur Radio Emergency Service

Lore & Background

Amateur radio operators belonging to ARES and its predecessor, the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps, have responded to local and regional disasters since the 1930s. Historical operations include the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the category 5 storms Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Michael, and the Joplin tornado. During Hurricane Katrina, more than one thousand ARES volunteers assisted in the aftermath and provided communications for the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and other relief organizations. After Katrina, Hancock County, Mississippi, had lost all contact with the outside world except through ARES operators who served as 911 dispatchers and message relayers.

ARES deployed for the 2003 North America blackout, which covered a wide geographical area including Cleveland, Detroit, and New York City. Landline telephones and cell phone systems were overloaded, and amateur ability to operate off the grid was tested. On Long Island, health and welfare traffic was passed on VHF and HF nets, and amateurs helped fill the lack of information when some television and radio stations went off the air. This was not the first time amateur radio operators assisted during a blackout in New York City; on July 13, 1977, a lightning-caused power outage across the city and suburbs led radio operators to start communication nets on simplex and on a repeater located in the Chrysler Building.

ARES groups are organized locally by city or county, led by an Emergency Coordinator (EC) who is an ARRL or RAC member. The EC may appoint Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AECs) for geographical areas or functions such as Skywarn, net managing, training, or public information. Above the local level, a District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) may coordinate several county or city groups, reporting to the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). In the U.S., a Section is one of 71 geographic administrative areas of the ARRL. In Canada, ARES is coordinated by the RAC Field Services Organization with eight Sections: Alberta, British Columbia/Yukon, Manitoba, Maritimes (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick), Newfoundland/Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

Reader's Guide

ARES represents a structured yet largely autonomous volunteer network that has proven essential during major disasters. Its significance lies in providing communication when conventional systems fail, as demonstrated during Hurricane Katrina, where ARES operators were the sole link for Hancock County, Mississippi, and during the 2003 blackout when overloaded phone systems left many without contact. The organization's legacy is built on decades of service since the 1930s, with formal Memorandums of Understanding with agencies such as the American Red Cross, National Weather Service, FEMA, and the Salvation Army in the U.S., and with the Canadian Red Cross Society and PERCS in Canada. These agreements outline coordination guidelines for emergencies. While ARES is sponsored by the ARRL and RAC, local units operate with minimal national intervention as long as they serve amateur radio's interests. Some independent groups choose not to affiliate with the ARRL or RAC but work alongside ARES in times of need. Many ARES operators also participate in storm spotter networks like Skywarn (U.S.) and Canwarn (Canada). The organization's structure, from local Emergency Coordinators to Section Emergency Coordinators, enables scalable response, and its integration with RACES allows continued operation during declared emergencies when normal amateur operations might be prohibited.

Did You Know?

• During Hurricane Katrina, more than one thousand ARES volunteers provided communications for the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
• On July 13, 1977, a lightning-caused power outage in New York City led amateur radio operators to start communication nets on a repeater located in the Chrysler Building.