[Ares-races] Grant Renewed for Ham Radio Emergency Communication Training

Tue, 16 Sep 2003 12:43:04 EDT

From:  <A HREF="http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/10/1/?nc=1">http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/10/1/?nc=1</A>

CNCS Renews Grant for Emergency Communication Courses 

       Hams across the US will continue to receive emergency communications 
training with 100% reimbursed tuition via a grant from the Corporation for 
National and Community Service (CNCS), which <A HREF="http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/04/5/?nc=1">extended its grant</A> to ARRL for 
another year on September 4.

       ARRL provides grant-funded tuition reimbursement for US Amateur Radio 
operators wishing to receive <A HREF="http://www2.arrl.org/cce/courses.html#ec001">emergency communication training</A> through ARRL's 
Certification and Continuing Education program. The second year of 
reimbursement can cover the tuition expense of almost 1700 amateurs looking to take the 
Level 1 ARECC course.

       In 2002, ARRL proposed to CNCS that the League could greatly expand 
its emergency communication training program with grant funding.The training is 
supported by a three-year, $540,000 <A HREF="http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/08/16/2/">federal homeland security grant</A> from CNCS. 
The League was among several dozen nonprofit organizations designated to 
receive some $10.3 million in federal money to boost homeland defense volunteer 
programs. Through August 2003--the end of the first year of the grant--2254 
emergency communication volunteers started the Level I course through the 
grant-funded program, and 1699 completed the training, a 75.4%completion rate.

       "A good number of people have told us that without the grant, they 
would not have participated in the training," said ARRL Emergency Communications 
Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. "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 <A HREF="http://www.cns.gov/">Corporation for National and Community Service</A> 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. 

       "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 20 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 also available.

ARRL Presents August Emergency Communications Course Seminars

       In August, Miller gave seminars to folks interested ingrant-funded 
emergency communication courses at hamfests in Huntsville, Alabama and Columbia, 
Missouri.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

       "This has been a great educational opportunity for me; I have learned 
enormously about aspects of emergency communications that I never knew before. 
Yesterday I attended a regional VOAD meeting with my SEC; last month I didn't 
even know VOAD existed!  Last month I learned how trunked radio operates; not 
only that, I learned it's vulnerability to overloads in a disaster. This 
course has taken me WAY beyond showing up with a radio in my hand." -- Mike 
Jaquish, W4WJH"

       Very informative especially regarding what systems have been set up 
over the years to facilitate EmComms. Quite an eye opener as to the versatility, 
creativeness and ingenuity that ham radio operators demonstrate in emergency 
operations. Thank you for the opportunity to continue my ham education and for 
the skills that I've developed as a result of this course." -- Marti Brown, 
KF4TRG* ** * *

       For more information on this exciting opportunity for learning and 
service, check out the <A HREF="http://www2.arrl.org/cce/">ARRL Certification and Education</A> Web pages or send e-mail 
to ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">Dan Miller, K3UFG.
</A>
////////////////////////////////////////////////// Last Item 
/////////////////////////////////////////////////

Bill Lennox
US Air Force (Retired)
Full Time College Student (Emergency Management)
KD7EFP
Assistant Emergency Coordinator - Plans (ARES), Washington County, Oregon
Assistant Radio Officer - Plans (RACES), Washington County, Oregon

--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
  text/plain (text body -- kept)
  text/html
The reason this message is shown is because the post was in HTML
or had an attachment.  Attachments are not allowed.  To learn how
to post in Plain-Text go to: http://www.expita.com/nomime.html  ---