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Date Last Updated:
5/11/2008
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Ham Radio in Clallam County

Mission Statement
Amateur Radio in Emergency Communications
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
Clallam County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CCARES)

Contact & Meeting Information
CCARES Packet Information

CCARES Files & Documents Section (members only)
MEMBERS: Please click on the above link to access the file listing. This section is password protected. Please contact David McCoy, KE7JEJ, to obtain the username and password.

TO OPEN A FILE: Left click on the file you want to view.
TO SAVE A FILE ON YOUR COMPUTER: Right click on the file you want and left click ‘Save Target As’. You will then need to tell the computer where you want it to place the file.

Mission Statement

The mission of Clallam County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CCARES) is to provide auxiliary communications to support local emergency and disaster relief organizations when activated by Clallam County Department of Emergency Management (CCEM) or those organizations with which the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) maintains a Memorandums of Understanding.

Amateur Radio in Emergency Communications

The Communications Act of 1934, enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to execute and enforce the provisions of the Act.  The FCC Rules, which implement the Act, provide for licensing of radio operators and regulate the Amateur Radio Service in Part 97, and state that the Amateur Radio Service is a "voluntary, non-commercial communications service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications."

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)

Part 97 of the FCC rules define the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, which "provides for amateur radio operation for civil defense communications only, during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies, including any emergency which may necessitate invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of Section 606 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended." It also provides restrictions upon the duration of the RACES drills.

Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance, State and County governments have developed Departments of Emergency Management (DEM), which are responsible for planning local and regional response to a wide range of emergencies.

In actual practice, utilization of RACES has evolved such that the Service has, in many cases, become an integral part of local emergency plans. At the county level, the DEM appoints an amateur radio operator to serve as the Radio Officer, coordinating the amateur radio response to an emergency and serving as liaison to the Amateur Radio community. Licensed amateur radio operators are recruited to register as RACES emergency workers, as provided for by the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 118-04 and under conditions set forth by the DEM. RACES, however, does not have any organized state or national support structure until activated.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

The American Radio Relay League is the national organization of Amateur Radio.  To aid in providing emergency communications, the ARRL has created a Field Organization of volunteers which administer a National Traffic System (NTS) and an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). The ARRL has a Memorandum of Understanding with the following public safety and disaster relief organizations:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• American Red Cross
• International Association of Public Safety Communications Officers (APCO)
• National Communications System
• Salvation Army
• National Weather Service

Clallam County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CCARES)

The Clallam County ARES is organized in two levels; as an affiliate of ARRL/ARES and as the recognized RACES organization by the Clallam County Division of Emergency Management.

Membership in CCARES is open to all licensed Amateur Radio Operators that are residents of Clallam County, who first register with ARRL/ARES through the Emergency Coordinator. They are not required to attend training meetings and function as a second response unit in emergencies.

CCARES members in good standing may register in the RACES program with the Clallam County Division of Emergency Management (CCEM) and serve as a primary responder during emergencies.   RACES members are the core of the organization and are expected to attend training meetings and participate in drills and other events.

Contact & Meeting Information

CCARES regularly meets at 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday each month at the Clallam County EOC (Emergency Operations Center), located in the basement of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 East 4th Street in Port Angeles. Entry to the EOC can be made through the Health Department entrance on the east side of the courthouse. Once inside, the EOC (also known as Training Room) is located straight ahead down the hall past the Health Department, restrooms, and elevator and is across the hallway from the vending machines.

CCARES members in the Forks area meet at the Forks City Hall in the Court Room at the same date and time as above. Video conferencing is used to provide an interactive connection to the Port Angeles meeting.

On the remaining Tuesdays of each month, CCARES initiates a check-in radio net at 7:00 PM on the Clallam County Amateur Radio Club repeater; 146.760, -600KHz offset, 100 Hz tone. The net begins with a check-in of members, check-in of visitors, any reports and/or announcements, late and/or missed check-ins, then the closing of the net.

To request any information regarding CCARES/RACES, refer to the contact information at the top of this page.

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