February 2025

DEC Bulletin

This month we will discuss what we as Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) members will do leading up to a disaster/emergency activation. We don’t self-activate or self-deploy. We only respond when we are invited by either our served agencies or Emergency Management.

Before responding for duty as an ARES® volunteer we must meet the following conditions:

1.  Be sure you and your family are safe and secure. Remember the pets, or livestock.

2.  Be sure your property is secure. Check on the neighbors. For some people in or close to the disaster area this may be the extent of your participation. You may be the only help they have until the real help arrives. It’s neighbors helping neighbors.

3.  While we wait to see if we will be invited to participate, we should start making sure we have a fresh charge on our batteries.

4.  Monitor the following:

·         Check for messages from the Citizen Alert Network.

·         Emergency Alert System (EAS), (KLAQ FM, KROD AM, or KTSM FM), KFOX Channel 14 or KVIA Channel 7, or

·         TxDOT TIS radio (1610 kHz) for Emergency information from Emergency Management.

5.  We should start making sure our disaster supply go-bag and radio go-kits are ready for deployment. Are all the last-minute items put in the go-bags?

When the activation order does come a Resource Net will be activated. Follow the instructions given by the net control operator.

Remember, what happens while on duty remains with the duty station when we leave. DO NOT discuss anything with friends in private, over the air, or on the net about what happened.

For the non-ARES® folks. Do not go to the disaster site looking for something to do. There is nothing to do there if you are not an ARES® member. Join ARES®, get trained and become part of the solution not part of the problem.

The terms ARES® and Amateur Radio Emergency Service® is both registered trademarks of the American Radio Relay League, Inc. and are used by permission.

Questions and comments are always welcome and encouraged. Send an email to the address shown below.

73,

Lew, KB5HPT

Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DEC, District 6, WTX Section

Tactical Address: TXEPCARESDEC

TX RACES: DRO-08A