SCCo ARES/RACES conducts activities and provides communications support at a variety of locations, including security-sensitive locations such as schools, shelters, hospitals and government buildings. Therefore, background checks are required for participation in some SCCo ARES/RACES programs and may be required in other specific situations.
Background checks are confidential. They are conducted by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and include local, state DOJ, and FBI checks. After all other requirements have been met for the Endorsement requiring a background check, the Credential Program Manager will provide the applicant with details on how to obtain the background check. The Applicant will submit their information directly to the Sheriff’s Office, the costs are covered by the SCCo Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Sheriff’s Office does not disclose personal information or any details discovered by the background check to OEM or SCCo ARES/RACES.
The Sheriff’s Office will inform OEM whether the individual passed or failed the check. The ARES/RACES Credential Program Manager will be informed by OEM. If the check failed, SCCo OEM and ARES/RACES will not know the reason for the failure. Also, to protect the privacy of all individuals, SCCo ARES/RACES will not discuss background check results with other amateur radio groups. It is up to each city/agency amateur radio group to perform whatever background checks they deem appropriate.
Since SCCo ARES/RACES does not have any details about why an individual might have failed a background check, we are unable to make any judgments about which events might be appropriate for that person to attend. Therefore, anyone who fails the background check will not be permitted to participate in any SCCo ARES/RACES activities, including but not limited to, training classes, meetings, drills/exercises, public service events, and responses to real emergency incidents.
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This page was last updated 13-June-2024