TL;DR
ARES and RACES are nationwide networks of licensed amateur radio operators trained to provide emergency communication when normal infrastructure fails. They serve hospitals, Red Cross, emergency management, and relief organizations during disasters. Joining before an emergency — attending nets, completing training, knowing your local frequencies — is what makes you useful when things go wrong. An untrained operator with a radio is not an asset.
The Organized Emergency Communication Ecosystem
After major disasters in the US, amateur radio operators provide communication backbone for organizations that can no longer use phones or internet. This isn't a backup plan — it's frequently the only working communication system.
After Hurricane Katrina, ARRL reported that approximately 1,000 amateur radio operators served in emergency communication roles across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. They linked hospitals, shelters, the National Guard, and Red Cross operations for days after commercial infrastructure went dark.
This capability exists because the operators had trained, coordinated, and knew what to do. A licensed ham showing up at a Red Cross shelter with a radio but no training and no established relationship creates more problems than it solves.
The way to be useful is to be part of the system before you need it.
ARES: Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ARES is an ARRL-affiliated organization of licensed amateur radio operators who have registered with their local ARRL section and trained for emergency communication service.
Structure:
- Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC): Manages ARES at the state level (ARRL "section")
- District Emergency Coordinator (DEC): Manages ARES for a geographic district within a section
- Emergency Coordinator (EC): Local-level ARES leadership, typically county or city
What ARES does:
- Maintains relationships with served agencies (Red Cross, hospitals, emergency management)
- Conducts regular nets (scheduled on-air meetings) to maintain readiness
- Participates in drills and exercises (including ARRL's annual Field Day, Simulated Emergency Test)
- Provides communication support when agencies request it
Membership: Any licensed amateur radio operator can register with their local ARES group. No dues, no exclusive application process. Registration is typically through the ARRL website or directly with the local EC.
Activation: When an agency needs communication support, they contact the EC. The EC activates available operators. Activations may be pre-planned (weather events with advance warning) or immediate (earthquake, industrial accident).
RACES: Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
RACES is an FCC program (Part 97.407) that establishes a formal relationship between licensed amateur radio operators and government emergency management organizations.
Key distinction from ARES: RACES is government-affiliated. RACES operations are directed by civil defense authorities. During a declared emergency, RACES operators may be the only amateur stations legally authorized to transmit if the FCC restricts other transmissions.
Dual membership: Most operators involved in EMCOMM are registered with both ARES and RACES. They're not competing — they're complementary. ARES provides the organizational structure and training; RACES provides the legal framework for government-directed operations during declared emergencies.
Joining RACES: Contact your county or city Office of Emergency Management (OEM). RACES programs vary significantly by jurisdiction — some are very active with regular drills; some exist on paper. Your local OEM can tell you what's active.
NTS: National Traffic System
The National Traffic System (NTS) is an ARRL-coordinated network of nets designed to pass formal message traffic across the country. It operates like a relay postal system — messages are passed from net to net until they reach a station near the destination.
Why it matters in emergencies: NTS uses standardized radiogram format — a specific structure for formal message traffic. This format is designed for accurate transmission and relay of messages containing names, addresses, phone numbers, and short messages.
In an extended communications emergency, NTS can move messages between widely separated areas: "Please advise William Johnson at 405-555-0147 in Oklahoma City that his family in New Orleans is safe. Contact: Marie Johnson." NTS nets handle this kind of welfare traffic.
NTS structure:
- Local nets: Meet daily (typically morning and evening) on VHF repeaters
- Section nets: Meet daily on HF, pass traffic between local nets
- Regional nets: Meet daily on HF, pass traffic between section nets
- Area nets: Meet daily on HF, pass traffic between regions
Learning NTS: The ARRL's NTS Methods and Practices guidelines (free download at arrl.org) cover message format and procedures. Attending your local NTS net before an emergency is the best preparation.
Net Protocol Basics
Operating in an organized net is different from casual QSO (radio conversation). Nets are structured, controlled operations. Getting this wrong on a busy emergency net is disruptive.
Net Control Station (NCS): Every net has a NCS who runs the net. The NCS identifies check-ins, takes stations in turn, and manages traffic flow. The NCS's word is final during the net.
Checking in: When the NCS asks for check-ins ("QNI," or "stations with traffic please call"), respond with your call sign and status: "[Call sign], no traffic" or "[Call sign], traffic for [destination]."
Waiting your turn: After checking in, wait. Do not transmit until the NCS recognizes you.
Traffic handling: When you have a message to pass, say "[Call sign], one piece of traffic for [destination]" when checking in. The NCS will handle routing.
Priority traffic: Emergency traffic goes first. If you have emergency traffic, say "BREAK" during a pause to interrupt normal traffic. Only do this for actual emergency traffic — it's the radio equivalent of 911.
Closing the net: When the NCS closes the net, all stations are released. Don't transmit on the net frequency after close unless you have specific traffic to pass.
ICS Integration
Most emergency management systems in the US operate under the Incident Command System (ICS) — a standardized management structure that applies to all types of emergencies.
ARRL's emergency communication training teaches ICS concepts specifically as they apply to amateur radio operations. The EC who manages an ARES activation typically works within ICS as part of the Logistics Section (communication support).
ARRL offers ICS-200 and ICS-700 compatible training through their ARRL Emergency Communication (EC) course series. The courses EC-001 through EC-016 cover fundamental through advanced EMCOMM topics. All are free online at arrl.org/emergency-communication-training.
Taking ICS-100 and ICS-700 through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (training.fema.gov) — both free, online — also prepares you to integrate with professional emergency management systems. Many ARES groups require these as prerequisites for activation.
Digital Emergency Communication
Modern emergency communication has shifted significantly toward digital modes. Several systems are specifically designed for emergency use.
Winlink: Email over radio. Send and receive email through the internet without internet — your radio connects to a Winlink gateway station that bridges to the internet. Used extensively for welfare messages ("I'm safe, at [shelter]"), logistics coordination, and formal message traffic. See the Winlink article for full details.
NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System): Software suite (Fldigi + supporting programs) for error-correcting digital message exchange. Designed specifically for emergency communication — messages are transferred with error detection, reducing miscopy compared to voice. Used by ARES groups for message traffic, medical information, and incident coordination.
D-STAR / System Fusion / DMR: Digital voice modes that allow internet-linking of repeaters. During an emergency, a D-STAR repeater might link to reflectors in an unaffected region, effectively extending local communication beyond the disaster footprint. Requires a radio with the appropriate digital mode capability.
APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System): Transmits GPS position and short messages on 144.390 MHz (US). Emergency managers can see operator positions on a map in real-time. Used for tracking shelter-in-place populations, tracking teams in the field, and passing short tactical messages without voice channel congestion.
How to Prepare Now
Get the license: Technician license gives you access to all VHF/UHF ARES operations. General adds HF capability. Both have value.
Find your local group: ARRL.org/ares or ask at a local ham club.
Take the training: ARRL EC-001 (Introduction to Emergency Communication) is the starting point. Free, online, approximately 4-6 hours. This is the baseline expected of ARES operators.
Attend the nets: Your local ARES net likely meets weekly on a local repeater. Just listen at first. You'll learn the frequencies, the operators, and the procedures without having to transmit.
Participate in exercises: Field Day (last full weekend in June, annually) is the largest exercise in amateur radio. Every ARES group participates. It's the practical training environment where you actually operate under simulated emergency conditions.
Build your kit: At minimum: your radio, a spare battery or AA case, a headset for noisy environments, a logbook and pencil, a list of local frequencies and call signs. ARRL publishes a suggested go-kit list.
The operators who are useful in an actual emergency are the ones who showed up to the nets when there was no emergency, took the courses when nothing was happening, and practiced with real operators before they needed to depend on the skill.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a member of ARES/RACES to be useful during an emergency?
Membership in an organized group is not required to operate legally, but it's highly recommended. ARES and RACES operators have pre-established relationships with emergency management, know the designated frequencies, and have trained together. Walking into an emergency without prior coordination is inefficient at best and disruptive at worst. Join before you need it. The training and relationships are what make you effective.
What's the difference between ARES and RACES?
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is an ARRL-affiliated volunteer organization. RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) is an FCC-authorized program that operates under government emergency management. RACES operators may be activated by government authority and can operate under conditions where other transmissions are restricted. Many hams are members of both. In practice, they often operate together during local emergencies.
How do I find my local ARES group?
ARRL maintains a directory at arrl.org/ares. Contact your ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) or District Emergency Coordinator (DEC). Your local amateur radio club (arrl.org/find-a-club) can also direct you to the active ARES group in your area. Attendance at a club meeting and asking who's active in EMCOMM is often the fastest path.