• Valid Technician class or higher Amateur Radio license
• Santa Clara County ARES/RACES instructor-led training courses:
  • Introduction to Emergency Communications
  • Fundamentals of Emergency Communications
• Santa Clara County ARES/RACES self-paced video course:
• ICS-214-SCCo Unit Activity Log (about 20 minutes)

NOTE:  The above prerequisites are not strictly enforced. But in order to get the most out of this course, you should have previously attended the above courses. If you have not yet attended one or more of the prerequisites, you should carefully review the course materials for the missed prerequisites prior to attending this course. Then, be sure to attend any missed prerequisites at your earliest opportunity.

3 hours

NOTE:  Depending on the number of participants, class questions and interaction, be prepared for the class to run over the scheduled time by up to 15 minutes.

• Copy of all course materials (see below)
• Pen/pencil and pad of paper
• HT with headset or ear bud, and batteries, to last on low power for class time. You will need to test your HT before class starts; someone will be monitoring the assigned frequency shown in the slides once you arrive in the classroom.
• IMPORTANT: See additional location-specific items on the sign-up page

At the end of this two-part course, students will be able to:

• Describe the role of the field operator, including
  • Served agency needs, field assignment types, SCCo ARES/RACES Credentialing Program
• Explain and perform basic safety procedures
• Properly execute an assignment, including
  • Mobilization, selecting equipment, field operations, dealing with problems, demobilization
• Understand and use field operations checklists

The course agenda for this first part includes:

• Mastering Field Communications
• Supporting Our Served Agencies
• Field Communications Assignments
• Credentials
• Safety
• Simulated deployment
  • Mobilization
  • Station Set Up

The second part of this course will continue with:

• Type III Field Equipment
• Type II Field Equipment
• On Site Operations
• Traffic Types
• Message Passing Intro
• Type II Techniques
• Dealing With Problems
• Demobilization
• Checklists

Classroom presentation (revised 29-Dec-2024) Select your page preference:

• 1 slide per page (Landscape PDF - 7.9 MB)
• 1 slide per page (Portrait PDF - 7.4 MB)
• 2 slides per page (PDF - 6.8 MB)
• 3 slides per page (PDF - 6.4 MB)
• 4 slides per page (PDF - 6.6 MB)

Homework: Prior to coming to class

• Review the prerequisite course materials
• Find the following slides with questions and fill-in-the-blanks and answer the questions using what you learned from the prerequisites classes.
  • Slides 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 79, 88, and 93
• If you have not yet watched the ICS-214 video, download ICS-214-SCCo Unit Activity Log training video and complete the exercises. (about 20 minutes)

Print out and bring the following to class:

• Qty 1:  ICS-205 Communications Plan - Example (PDF)
  • Using the instructions on the back, learn what each of the entries on the front page means. Ask questions in class.
• Qty 1:  ICS-211A Check-In List (PDF)
• Qty 1:  ICS-214 Unit Activity Log (PDF)
• Qty 1:  ICS-309 Communications Log (PDF)
• Qty 1:  SCCo ARES/RACES Performance Standards and Best Practices (PDF)
  • Review, especially relief briefing, starting on p13

IMPORTANT: See additional location-specific items on the sign-up page