ARES vs. RACES vs. ACS

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or ARES, is the field arm of the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). (“Amateur Radio Emergency Service” and “ARES” are registered service marks of the ARRL.) The League deals with all aspects of Amateur Radio, including legislation, licensing, and contests; the ARES branch specifically handles field communications, particularly during emergencies. When you hear in the news that Amateur Radio operators were part of a search and rescue operation, assisted in getting aid to a ship in trouble at sea, or provided communications for a Red Cross shelter, you’re hearing about an ARES function.

ARES volunteers also offer a splendid community service by providing free administrative communications at planned events, such as air shows, parades, and bike rides. In addition to helping the community through such service, experienced and inexperienced operators alike can use such events to refresh and polish their emergency-response skills.

ARES operators provide their own insurance. You become an ARES amateur radio operator by joining ARRL, but a “Ham” does not need to be a member of ARRL to participate in ARES. If you become an Emergency Coordinator (EC), you do need to join ARRL.

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, or RACES, is the amateur radio emergency service recognized by the FCC in federal regulations and functions as a communications resource within the Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA) Incident Command System (ICS) structure. When a governmental entity (that is, a representative of the City, County, State, or Federal government) requests amateur radio assistance during a declared state of emergency, the response is through RACES. This is because governmental activation alters several aspects of disaster-response funding, including insurance coverage. When you hear in the news that amateur radio operator are assisting officials within an officially declared disaster zone, such as in the aftermath of a hurricane, earthquake, flood, you’re hearing about a RACES function. RACES operators are covered in California by Disaster Service Worker (DSW) insurance. This is a variety of Worker’s Compensation.

You become a RACES amateur radio operator by signing up for DSW and registering with your local RACES organization — or, in Santa Clara County, your local ARES/RACES organization. (The procedure for signing up for DSW is part of the ARES/RACES Policies and Procedures Manual.)

The California Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is a program created by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Skilled and dedicated people, licensed and unlicensed, can be recruited to serve in one or more of four unpaid staff categories: administrative, management, technical, and operations.

ACS was expanded from the original RACES program, incorporating civilians who were not amateur radio operators in emergency communications response. California State ACS serves as an educational and training forum, to assist all those interested in emergency communications to serve the state government in time of need.

The ACS provides tactical, logistical and administrative support and communications for all government communications systems. This includes operations on equipment and frequencies of any authorized equipment or frequencies in support of any need by government that might be in any way connected with an eventual emergency. This includes: cellular, computer, email, facsimile, Internet, interpersonal, microwave, radio (police, fire, amateur, other), satellite, telephone, television, video conference, in-office support of personnel, operators of equipment and systems.