[LeArc] ARLB050 Emergency Communications Training to Begin September 1

[Joseph L. Rossmiller]

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB050
ARLB050 Emergency Communications Training to Begin September 1

ZCZC AG50
QST de W1AW =20
ARRL Bulletin 50  ARLB050
>From ARRL Headquarters =20
Newington CT  August 16, 2002
To all radio amateurs=20

SB QST ARL ARLB050

ARLB050 Emergency Communications Training to Begin September 1

Amateur Radio emergency communications training supported by a $181,900 =
federal homeland security grant will begin within a few weeks. The =
League was among several dozen nonprofit organizations designated to =
receive some $10.3 million in federal money to boost homeland defense =
volunteer programs. During its first year, the grant--from the =
Corporation for National and Community Service special volunteer =
program--will reimburse the cost of Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency =
Communications Course training for up to 1700 volunteers.

ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says the national =
program will begin September 1 with the recruitment of at least 200 =
additional mentors and trainers. These volunteers then will help to =
manage and train the student load during the first year of the grant. =
Hobart and Dan Miller, K3UFG--formerly ARRL Certification and Continuing =
Education Program Coordinator and now the Emergency Communications =
Course Manager--have been working with CNCS to expedite the grant =
details.

This week, ARRL section managers were asked to recommend up to five =
students to sign up to take the Level I Amateur Radio Emergency =
Communications on-line course. These individuals also will receive =
additional training to become instructors and mentors. Hobart pointed =
out that additional mentors and instructors will be needed to help =
handle the expected volume of students training under the grant program. =
Anyone who has already completed the Level I course is qualified to =
become a mentor with some additional training. Mentor candidates should =
contact Dan Miller, k3ufg@arrl.org, for information on how to take part.

Once the ARRL members hand-picked by section managers to train as =
mentors have completed the program, registration for routine Level I =
training will open October 1, initially for ARRL field appointees. =
Miller anticipates that the program will continue to handle =
approximately 200 students per month. ''As much as we'd like to, we =
can't train everyone at once,'' he said. ''Please be patient.''

To comply with grant requirements, the ARRL also will survey served =
agencies and certain segments of the amateur population. Hobart said the =
League wants to ensure that the course offered accurately represents =
''what really happens in the field'' during an emergency or disaster.

Students taking advantage of Level I emergency communications training =
under the grant program will be asked to pay for the course via credit =
card during the registration process. Level I course candidates from =
Connecticut will continue to be trained under a $33,000 grant from =
United Technologies Corporation to expand Amateur Radio emergency =
communications training opportunities. Upon successfully completing the =
training and certification, students will be reimbursed the $45 fee.

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/EX



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