Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

What Is RACES?

Founded in 1952, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a public service that provides a reserve communications group within government agencies in times of extraordinary need. During periods of activation, RACES personnel are called upon to perform many tasks for the government agencies they serve. Although the exact nature of each activation will be different, the common thread is communications.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for the regulation of RACES operations. Each RACES group is administrated by a local, county, or state civil defense agency responsible for disaster services. This civil defense agency is typically an emergency services or emergency management organization, sometimes within another agency such as police or fire. In some areas, RACES may be part of an agency's Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS). Some RACES groups call themselves by other names (often to avoid confusion with similarly sounding terms such as “racist” or “horse races”), such as ACS, DCS (Disaster Communications Service), or ECS (Emergency Communications Service)..

The importance of RACES operations cannot be stressed enough. The Amateur Radio Regulations, Part 97, Subpart F, were created by the FCC to describe RACES operations in detail. Although no longer issued (but still valid and renewable), special licenses were issued in the past by the FCC to government agencies for RACES operations.

RACES provides a pool of emergency communications personnel that can be called on in time of need. RACES groups across the country prepare themselves for the inevitable day when they will be called upon. When a local, county, or state government agency activates its RACES group, that group will use its resources to meet whatever need that agency has.

Traditional RACES operations involve emergency message handling on Amateur Radio Service frequencies. These operations typically involve messages between critical locations such as hospitals, emergency services, emergency shelters, and any other locations where communication is needed. These communications are handled in any mode available, with 2 meters FM being the most prevalent.

Other tasks that RACES personnel are involved with may not involve amateur-radio communications. For example, RACES communicators may become involved in public-safety or other government communications, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staffing, and emergency equipment repair.

Whatever need arises, trained RACES personnel are ready and prepared to help. RACES groups develop and maintain their communications ability by training throughout the year with special exercises and public-service events. When that fateful day occurs, RACES will be there to meet the challenge.

FCC Rules for RACES

Sec.  97.40  Radio amateur civil emergency service.

   (a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed primary,
   club, or military recreation station and it is certified by a civil defense
   organization as registered with that organization, or it is an FCC-licensed
   RACES station. No person may be the control operator of a RACES station, or
   may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES
   unless  that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license and is
   certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that organization.

   (b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the control
   operator are available to stations transmitting communications in RACES on a
   shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which
   necessitates  invoking  the President's War Emergency Powers under the
   provisions of section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47
   U.S.C. 606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in RACES may
   only transmit on the frequency segments authorized pursuant to part 214 of
   this chapter.

   (c) A RACES station may only communicate with:

   (1) Another RACES station;

   (2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization;

   (3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency
   to communicate with RACES stations;

   (4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication
   is authorized by the FCC.

   (d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only
   communicate with:

   (1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with which
   the amateur station is registered;

   (2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil
   defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is
   registered:

   (i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization;

   (ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense
   organization;

   (iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible
   agency to communicate with RACES stations; and

   (iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication
   is authorized by the FCC.

   (e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized
   by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil defense
   communications of the following types may be transmitted:

   (1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the
   public safety, or affecting the national defense or security during periods
   of local, regional, or national civil emergencies;

   (2)  Messages  directly  concerning  the  immediate  safety of life of
   individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and
   order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed
   attack or sabotage;

   (3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of
   public information or instructions to the civilian population essential to
   the  activities  of the civil defense organization or other authorized
   governmental or relief agencies; and

   (4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure
   the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the
   RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organization served. Such
   drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the
   approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the applicable
   State, Commonwealth, District or territory, however, such tests and drills
   may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in
   any calendar year.
 

What do Amateur Radio operators ("hams") do during and after disasters?

Amateur Radio operators set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster. Hams are most likely to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of communication, i.e.. power outages and destruction of telephone lines.

How do Amateur Radio operators help local officials?

Many hams are active as communications volunteers with local public safety organizations. In addition, in some disasters, radio frequencies are not coordinated among relief officials, and hams step in to coordinate communication when radio towers and other elements in the communications infrastructure are damaged.

What are the major Amateur Radio emergency organizations?

Amateur Radio operators have informal and formal groups to coordinate communication during emergencies. At the local level, hams may participate in local emergency organizations, or organize local "traffic nets" using VHF and UHF frequencies. At the state level, hams are often involved with state emergency management operations. In addition, hams operate at the national level through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) which is coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) which is coordinated through the American Radio Relay League. In addition, in areas that are prone to tornadoes, many hams are involved in SKYWARN, which operates under the National Weather Service.

Is Amateur Radio recognized as a resource by national relief organizations?

Many national organizations have formal agreements with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other Amateur Radio groups. The Monmouth County ARES members do public service events. We provide communications support for the following:
Children's Peace Fair Brookdale Community College, MS 50 mile & 170mile Bike Tour Sandy Hook to Cape May, The Center AIDS Support Group Bike Tour through Western Monmouth, Walk on Belmar Boardwalk Spring Lake Five Mile Run, American Diabetes Bike Tour NWS Earle Big Brothers 10-25-40-65-100mile Bike Tours, Navesink River Swim Red Bank, Monmouth County Fair East Freehold Fairgrounds, Sheehan 10K Run Red Bank area, Belmar Five Mile Run Institute for Children with Cancer & Blood Disorders / Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, 25-50-75-100 mile Bike Tour Western Monmouth, Middlesex and parts of Mercer Counties American Diabetes Walk Tinton Falls, Juvenile Diabetes Walk Avon-Bradley-Belmar, CROP Walk Red Bank area, Jamboree on the Air (BSA) Quail Hill, Fort Monmouth, Allaire Park

Once a year, on the last full weekend in June, Local Radio Clubs participates in Field Day. Field day is a large-scale test of our emergency field communications. We engage in friendly competition with other hams around the country who have set up similar field communications. Field day is also a good place for members of the public to see ham radio in action, and, is a social gathering for members of the clubs.

Links to Our Favorite WebPages

American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter.
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA Guidance for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.
MONMOUTH County ARES/RACES WebPage.
EATONTOWN Office of Emergency Management.
RAHWAY Office of Emergency Management.
SKYWARN National Skywarn Homepage.
Emergency Preparedness Information Center.
National Weather Service Glossary of Weather Terms.
ARES National National Web Site.
ARRL Information about RACES and ARES.
ARRL Public Service Communication Manual.
Emergency Preparedness Information Center.
The Internet Disaster Information Network.
State of California OES Communication Service .
RACES Library of Packet Radio Software

Volunteers Wishing to Join the Middletown Twp RACES send an email to N2PVP

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