[FLARES] How does your group stack up?

[Ron Wetjen]

In the latest ARES E-Letter (Feb. 21) there was mention of the 
recommendations from the League's National Emergency
Response Planning Committee.

Some of those recommendations include:


"The drafting and population of a National ARES Data Base"

Have you already seen http://aresdb.ab2m.net/ ?

EC's go there and register your organizations, then have your members 
register themselves ... and you have that recommendation taken care of.


"The development of course and certification requirements for ARES 
operators."

Sarasota County ACS already requires members take classes and become 
certified.


"Courses would include ARRL's ARECC Level 1, Red Cross combined course 
in Adult CPR/First Aid Basics, Red Cross Introduction to Disaster 
Services, FEMA IS-100 (Introduction to Incident Command System), FEMA 
IS-200 (ICS for Single Resource and Initial Action Incidents) and FEMA 
IS-700 (National Incident Management System)."


All the "recommended" courses (except for Red Cross CPR/First Aid) are 
already REQUIRED for Sarasota ACS members to have.

Besides those required classes, we have members who have taken IS-300, 
IS-400, and 11 members who have taken CERT training.  (I'm working on 
developing an Amateur Radio/Communications module to be added to our 
local CERT training manual.  If someone has already done something like 
that, please share.)


Some groups are already doing (or finished!) what the National Emergency 
Response Planning Committee now recommends that all groups adopt!  How 
does YOUR group stack up?


Ron, WD4AHZ
EC Sarasota County
Sarasota County ACS  www.saracs.org