When the message has to get through, ARES can assist — Fayette County's local Amateur Radio Emergency Service program.
ARES — the Amateur Radio Emergency Service — is the ARRL-sponsored network of licensed operators who volunteer their skills and equipment for public service and disaster response. When phone lines and cell networks are overloaded or down, ARES operators keep information moving between emergency management, served agencies, and the public.
Fayette County ARES is the formal link between W0OEL operators and Fayette County Emergency Management — the same county partnership the club already works with day to day, organized under ARES's chain of command so that when an activation happens, everyone already knows their role.
ARES in Iowa is organized geographically: each county has an Emergency Coordinator (EC), and each ARRL district has a District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) overseeing the ECs within it. Fayette County sits within ARES District 2.
Fayette County ARES doesn't run a separate net yet — check-ins and coordination currently happen on the club's regular Monday net.
Already licensed and want to get involved locally? Register below. Not licensed yet, or want the full ARES/RACES training path first? Start with the Resource Library.
Fayette County ARES uses VolunteerHam to manage membership and keep a record of service hours, mileage, and training — no spreadsheets required.
Questions about the local program? Reach the Fayette County Emergency Coordinator directly.
n0zjt@n0zjt.com →For District 2 ARES information and DEC contact, visit the district page.
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