[CALV-ARES] ARES Registration

[Eric H. Christensen]

Good evening,

I'm working on some end of the month tasks and am hoping everyone can help me finish up a few things.

First, fourteen of the fifteen ARES members have signed up for accounts on the ARES website (https://ares.k3cal.org).  That's great!  Nine of the fourteen completed the registration (https://ares.k3cal.org/forms/sign-up-for-calvert-county-ares/) form.  Thank you for that!  Now I'm hoping I can get the rest of the membership to finish up so we can start next month (and next year) on the right foot.  If you haven't completed your registration please go to the ARES website, login, and then select Forms -> ARES Registration Form and answer the questions.  If you ever need to update your information you can simply edit your existing record (Forms -> Personnel Record) and save yourself from having to complete the entire form again.

The members who have completed the registration form:
Dave Hardy
Don Kirby
Shawn Donley
Monica Noell
Ed Noell
Chip Dahle
Bob Balint
Bob Sheskin
Eric Christensen

Second, if you haven't completed your NIMS training (https://ares.k3cal.org/training/nims/) (IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800) please do so over the coming weeks.  I know these things aren't much fun but they do help provide an understanding of our role and place in the Incident Command System.  Please report your completion on your ARES registration form.

Third, I've posted many of the relevant area, region, and section nets on the ARES website (https://ares.k3cal.org/net-schedule/).  I'd really like it if someone from Calvert County would check-in to the MEPN a few times a week and take traffic for the area (at least Calvert County).  This is will help prepare us for handling traffic into and out of Calvert County.  I already go on Tuesdays as a part of my liaison duties (from the NTSD) but having regular participation from our county would be great.  If you're interested in handling local NTS traffic to and from the section nets please let me know and I'll help you with understanding how it all works.  We will be doing some NTS training in the coming weeks to help prepare for general operations.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who has helped the team be successful.  Since November I've received lots of help getting everything going and I hope to continue the momentum into 2015.  I hope to do some practical exercises throughout the year in addition to the regular monthly meetings.  I foresee 2015 being a busy year for us for public service events and hopefully no emergent requests.

Until next time...

73,
Eric W4OTN
Calvert ARES EC