Training
Training is one of the most important pieces of being an emergency communicator. Through training, an operator can gain technical knowledge, radio protocol, emergency management skills, and much more. Most training is free though some courses have a small fee.
ARRL Emergency Communication Courses
ARRL has created 3 Emergency Communication Courses for amateur radio operators who are interested in furthering their knowledge in EmComm. Each level builds upon itself with information about go-kits, net structure, ARES leadership, and much more. Each course costs $45 dollars to ARRL members and $75 for non-members. Operators who are interested in gaining more knowledge in emergency communications should take at least Level I.
For more information on the ARECC, please visit Level I, Level II, and Level III
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FEMA/DEMA Independent Study Courses
FEMA has published a wide variety of emergency management courses online for anybody interested. There are 3 basic courses that Communication Corps operators should take:
IS-22 - "Are You
Ready?"
IS-700 - National
Incident Management System
IS-100 - Intro to
Incident Command System
If they are interested in a leadership position, or are just interested in gaining more knowledge operators should also take:
IS-200 - Basic
Incident Command System
IS-800 - National
Response Plan
All of the courses are free and are available online. You go over the material and then take the test which is also available online. Note that the test is open book! If you pass, they send you a nice FEMA certificate. Let your leaders know that you passed the test!
If you aren't interested in taking it online, Delaware Emergency Management Agency sponsors classes at a variety of locations across the state. You can view the calendar of classes here and when you are ready, let the Communication Corps Coordinator arrange your class.
Best of all, no matter where you take it, the training is free!
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SKYWARN Training
The SKYWARN program is managed by the National Weather Service. It consists of citizens who are interested in performing weather spotting duties for NOAA during destructive weather. Anyone can take SKYWARN training regardless if they have an amateur radio license or not.
If you are interested in the free Basic and Advanced SKYWARN training classes, check out www.deskywarn.com.
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CERT Training
Our partners at Citizen Corps have created Community Emergency Response Team training for citizens interested in disaster preparedness. If you are interested in these classes, please visit the Delaware Citizen Corps website.
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