About SCCo ARES/RACES

We combine the functions of ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), RACES (Radio Amateur Communications Emergency Service), and ACS (California's Auxiliary Communications Service) into a single organization so our served agencies don't have to worry about who to call.

Our organizational structure follows the California SEMS (Standardized Emergency Management System) model, with the Operational Area (county) supporting the cities, agencies and unincorporated areas within the county borders.

County / Operational Area

• County Leadership (District Emergency Coordinator / Chief Radio Officer & Assistants / Deputies)

Cities / Agencies

• City Emergency Coordinators / Radio Officers
• City and local ARES/RACES Groups & Links
  

Presentations

• Amateur Radio for Emergency Managers (PDF 3.2 MB), by Michael Fox, N6MEF
  • An overview of some of the ways amateur radio is currently used in Santa Clara County to support cities, agencies and the general public. The intended audience is emergency managers at cities, hospitals and other agencies.
  • Also available in source MS PPT format (17.2 MB) for city ECs to customize for their jurisdictions.
• Amateur Radio for Healthcare (PDF 1.6 MB), by Michael Fox, N6MEF
  • An overview of the major projects underway in 2019 related to amateur radio support of healthcare facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Register
   • Complete the ARES Registration Form
   • After you submit the registration form, you should be contacted by your city's ARES/RACES team. If not, consult the City Emergency Coordinators / Radio Officers list (above) and contact the appropriate person. This gets you plugged into the local activities where you live or work.
2. Get on the air
   • Meet us on the air for one of our weekly or monthly nets
   • If your agency isn't listed on our nets page, contact your Emergency Coordinator for details.
3. Sign up for activities
   • Create an account in our Activities Database
   • Then sign up for training classes, meetings, and drill/exercises.
   • For information about all of our classes and drills/exercises, see our Training page.
4. Join our discussions groups
   • Sign up for our discussion groups.
   • This keeps you informed and provides a way to learn from and provide help to others.

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