[TNham] EMCOMM requirement

[Jimmy Floyd]

Greetings from the ARRL Tn. SEC 

There has been much discussion recently concerning the training requirements
and Tn. ARES. 

I would like to reassure everyone that there are no plans to exclude anyone
from being an active member and vital part of amateur radio or ARES in the
Tn. Section of the ARRL.
Many sections have already set specific training requirements in place for
there ARES members ---- STX, Ky., SD, NJ and WV to name a few. The training
requirements in those areas vary some but the basic core is the same as what
we have set in place here in Tn. As you can see from the short list above,
Tn. is already behind many areas.  

As Amateur Radio is being utilized more and more by various agencies, from
the Federal level on down, it has become necessary for us to undertake
further training so that we can better assist those agencies. The NIMS
courses present a working knowledge or introduction to the ICS system and
the EMCOMM courses present some material that many of us might have
forgotten at one time or another. 
The NIMS courses do not cost to take and can be downloaded from the FEMA
website. The ARRL EMCOMM courses do cost and can either be taken online or
in a classroom type setting.

The Federal Government has placed the NIMS requirements on the States and
the States have placed the requirements on their individual counties and
cities  ---- hence the primary reason for us AMATEURS to step up and take
some of the same training as we are considered as FIRST RESPONDERS.
Therefore we will be in a much better position to serve one of our largest
served agencies--(Tennessee Emergency Management Agency) which in turn
serves your local county or city EMA. Other agencies serving in Disaster
response roles are also undertaking some of the training as well. Local EMA
officials need and want to be kept informed of the progress that local
Amateur Radio groups are making. 

All of the counties and municipalities in Tn. Have FYE (Fiscal Year End)
dates and this is usually what most consider annual training drop dates. In
other words, training must/should be completed by this date. Now where does
that leave us as ARES? 
We set a deadline of Aug. 1, 2006 for ASEC, DEC's and EC's to have their
training (IS-100, IS-700, IS-800 and ECOMM 1,2 and 3)

and a date of DEC. 1, 2006 for ARES members (EMCOMM 1 and IS-100)
 
Your local EMA may have other dates sooner in mind ---- this is at their
discretion. 
We need to understand that at some point a disaster may occur in an area and
the local EMA may have no choice, under the new guidelines set down from the
State, but to use only folks that have had the NIMS training ( including
ARES)  
Now, some have asked what do EMA's know about the EMCOMM training and how
did they find out about it. Across this great state are many ARES groups
working very closely with their local EMA officials and building strong
relationships for the future ------ they see the average Amateur radio
operator taking additional training----. Some of these folks may even be
HAMS themselves. Others may have heard from co-workers or have even seen the
Amateurs in action passing traffic during severe weather events or during
other disasters.    

The ARRL DOES NOT have a stake in this as it is NOT an ARRL requirement.
This is the reason that there has not been a big news story on the ARRL
website. This is the AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS of the Tennessee Section of the
ARRL moving forward by taking on additional training so that we can better
serve our communities. 

I understand the cost of the EMCOMM courses can present a financial setback
to many folks that have an interest in or are a vital part of their local
ARES system. This is where it is going to take ALL of us to pull together
and find a solution to this problem. 
The wrong answer would be for us to pull back and not pursue the training as
this would only limit the service that we can provide to our communities.
There are many hams across the state that have already completed the NIMS
requirements and the EMCOMM as well. Others are working to complete the
courses. 

I hope this helps to answer some of the questions and if not please let me
know. 


Thank you, 

Jimmy Floyd
NQ4U
ARRL Tn. SEC
tnsec at myway.com