[InHam] INARRL BULLETIN 037-2003

[Brian Murrey]

INARRL BULLETIN 037-2003
05:30:00 EST 09/11/2003 de KB9BVN

RE: 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 extended its grant to
ARRL for another year on September 4.

ARRL provides grant-funded tuition reimbursement for US Amateur Radio
operators wishing to receive emergency communication training 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 federal homeland
security grant 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 Corporation for National and Community Service 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.


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Brian Murrey - KB9BVN
KB9BVN@arrl.net
Indiana Section Bulletin Manager
(317)535-9887
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