"Activation" will probably involve going to the facilities of one of our served agencies, though not necessarily. Our served agencies are all within the vicinity of St. Louis County. At this time we have no agreements which require any of our members to leave the area.

If you wish to activate, here are the basic preparations you need to make -

1. Take the ARECC Level I course.
   Much of what you will be doing is explained in this course.

2. Participate in the St. Louis County ARES^® nets and exercises as often as possible.
   You will need to develop on-air experience working within the group's structure.

3. Learn how to handle formal traffic.
   It is highly likely that you will handle formal traffic during an emergency.

4. Take FEMA online courses IS100 and IS700.
   Don't panic, they are not lengthy or difficult. Many served agencies now require that volunteers take these courses.

5. Inform the Emergency Coordinator that you'd like to be placed on the Call Out List.
   Being on the list does not obligate you to activate if called. Sometimes you can go, sometimes you can't.

These preparations are not mandatory, but are strongly recommended.

• Learn and practice digital modes.
  There is a good chance that our served agencies will request that we send and receive data digitally, most likely using packet radio. It may be through MEPN, it may be via APRS, or it may be using Winlink.

• Assemble your own field station.
  Although our served agencies have their own amateur radio stations, you can never tell what is going to happen in a real emergency. Having your own field station and power is a reasonable precaution.
  Obviously you can't make your field station do everything, but here are the recommendations in order of preference:
  1. 2m/70cm voice.
  2. 2m/70cm packet.
     If you have such a station and can operate it, please attempt to become part of the Winlink system.
  3. HF voice.

• Develop net control skills.
  Again, you can never tell what will happen in an emergency situation. If you are the first amateur radio operator available, it may be incumbent upon you to bring up a net.
  You can develop net control skills by running the St. Louis County ARES^® weekly voice net every now and then.

Keep learning. There should never be a point when you say to yourself, "Okay, there's nothing else I need to know. I'm as ready as I need to be."

Now take a look at other things you can do in the St. Louis County ARES^® organization.

© 2010 St. Louis County ARES^®

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