Amateur Radio Emergency Service ® - Kentucky Region 3, District 4

Required Training

Just having a license, radio, and a desire to help is not enough. Having basic knowledge of emergency communications practices and emergency management and communications systems is not only essential, but required. In phase 1, every Henry County ARES member will be asked to complete the Kentucky ARES training course. In the next phases, the FEMA independent study courses IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 will be needed. We ask this of our members because operating in an EMCOMM situation isn't the same as ragchewing on a repeater or contesting on HF. Without the basic training and emergency communications skills needed, we won’t be effective in serving our communities.

Kentucky ARES Training Program

The Kentucky ARES training program is based on materials written and edited by AG4TY, W0IPL, and many other experienced KY ARES coordinators. This material is copyrighted, and is presented by permission and without restriction or cost to the amateur radio and public service community for nonprofit educational use. The courses comprised of study materials and 3 exams and requires 2-5 hours, depending on you reading speed.

Each exam has 50 questions, and a minimum score of 40 correct answers is required to pass. Exam 1 has two questions concerning attitude that must be answered correctly. Each test is scored within 3 to 12 days, depending on the workload of the administrator. Results will be sent via e-mail and the results of Kentucky amateur operators will be copied to ARES coordinators in their area for their records.

After successful completion of the course, you will receive a PDF certificate. E-mail a copy of your certificate to your County Emergency Coordinator so that he/she can keep a record of your training and qualifications.

FEMA NIMS Training

Effective in 2006, many public service agencies and facilities began requiring volunteers to complete National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) training. These courses are short in length and free of charge. Many other free courses are also available on FEMA's independent study program website.

KY ARES Study Material: (study material provided by KYHAM)

Emergency Communications Parts 1 and 2
Net Control Material

KY ARES Exams: (exams provided by KYHAM)

(please allow about 2 - 4 weeks for results)

Exam 1
Exam 2
NCS Exam

FEMA NIMS courses: (it is recommended to take in the order below)

IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
IS-100 Introduction To the Incident Command System
IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
IS-800 National Response Framework, An Introduction

As with your KY ARES certificate, e-mail a copy of each FEMA IS course certificate to your County EC.

Now that you know what we do and what is required to be a member of Henry County ARES, we hope you will consider joining our group and accepting the challenge of serving as a volunteer emergency communicator in the Henry County Amateur Radio Emergency Service.