N1CC ARES Experiences

Amateur Radio and Emergency Operations go hand-in-hand as volunteer experiences that allow amateur radio hobbyists to
take part in the community, local and internationally. This page provides notes on N1CC's ARES efforts from 1956-2004.

A.R.E.S operation was training for our local ham group. I was first active in June 1959 in reporting a fatal auto accident near my home in Mount Shasta, California as K6SXX/M. I reported the accident and rendered aid to the occupants during the interval between my reporting calls on 75 Meter AM Phone, over my ARC-5 Heising modulated transmitter and a Gonset BC-Ham converter feeding a center-loaded whip, to a near-by amateur and the arrival of the California Highway Patrol.

ARES is sponsored by the ARRL, and is managed in each Section by the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). The SEC is appointed by the Section Manager (SM). The SEC appoints an Emergency Coordinator (EC) for each county or community then appoints as many Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) as are needed for that area.

ARES often partners with the community and with other emergency organizations.

In 1959 I also was involved with Alaskan earthquake communications, several years later a second major Alaska earthquake and then the infamous World Series Earthquake in San Francisco. Many messages were passed for health and welfare as were some coordination requests between agencies.

I also provide support for the Managua earthquake in 1973 as W5QGZ in Mesquite TX, Click here for details. This was loosely connected to ARES, as many messages were routed over the ARRL National Traffic System (NTS).

Community Radio Watch and the Dallas Amateur Radio Club (DARC) partnered in the early 1970's, under the leadership of Office Bob Coker, WA5ZNZ. This program set up calling support for hams to hit a fast-dial button on their 2-Meter radio and speak directly to the 911 Dispatcher. DARC was assigned CRW-6 and I made many traffic and other law enforcement calls using this facility from 1973-1977.

Activity in ARES from 1978-2997 has been limited. At ARRL HQ in 1978 I rewrote the ARES documents under the leadership of George,W1NJM.