San Lorenzo Valley ARES Handbook
(http://www.lothlorien.com/~slvares)
Foreward
The Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (SCCARES)
organization and its counterpart for the San Lorenzo Valley, the San
Lorenzo Valley ARES organization, consists of Amateur Radio operators
who have registered their qualifications and made themselves and
their equipment available for public service and disaster
communication duty. Every licensed Amateur is eligible for membership
in the SCC ARES. The only qualification, other than holding a valid
license of Technician or higher class, is a sincere desire to serve.
ARES does not declare emergencies; rather, it responds to the call
for assistance from those agencies that have that responsibility.
Every disaster is unique; no plan can forsee the exact cicumstances
of any forthcoming event. It behooves emergency organizations to
prepare for all possible situations. The planning and training
conducted by ARES has that primary goal - as does on-going liason
with the agencies to be served.
ARES may be called upon to supply communications services where no
established links exist or to supplement existing systems when they
become disabled or overloaded. The communications systems of public
safety organizations are designed to routinely handle emergency
situations. It is also not feasible for them to maintain continuously
the resources required to meet peak demands of major disasters. In
those instances, the Radio Amateurs serve to complement existing
governmental and disaster agency communications resources. Services
provided by Amateurs may include:
- Communication between Santa Cruz County, other adjacent
counties and other Governmental agencies.
- Communication between county officils and other officials of
local government or state agencies.
- Communications between county, municipal and state public
service organizations.
- Supplemental communications services to disaster relief
organizations, including the American Red Cross and Salvation
Army.
- Supplemental communication services to hospitals and other
medical resources.
- Health and Welfare communications for the general public.
- Additional public service communications as required.
© 1997 SCCARES / SLVARES. Comments may be sent
to the SLVARES
webmaster.
This page was last updated on February 11, 1997 at 3:41 pm
PST.
