About Gwinnett ARES®

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

Here is a breakdown of the mission and charter that define the organization:

The Mission of ARES

The core mission of ARES is to provide reliable, non-commercial communication services to public safety, emergency management, and volunteer organizations during times of disaster or localized emergencies.

When standard communication networks (like cellular service, landlines, or internet) fail or become overloaded, ARES personnel step in to establish vital communication links. Their primary objectives include:

  • Supporting Served Agencies: Providing backup communications for entities like the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, local emergency management agencies (EMA), hospitals, and law enforcement.

  • Public Service Communications: Assisting with communications for large-scale community events (marathons, parades, dog shows, etc.) as a way to train and maintain operational readiness.

  • Health and Welfare Traffic: Handling messages to help reconnect families and verify the safety of individuals in affected disaster areas.

The ARES Charter & Authority

ARES is structured and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for amateur radio in the United States. Its operational authority and guidelines are rooted in the following framework:

  • Federal Authority (FCC Part 97): ARES operates under the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, specifically Part 97, which states that one of the fundamental purposes of the Amateur Radio Service is to provide a reservoir of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts for public service.

  • Organizational Structure: The charter establishes a clear, hierarchical chain of command to ensure seamless integration with government officials during a crisis. This includes:

    • Section Manager (SM) & Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC): Oversee ARES operations at the state or ARRL section level.

    • District Emergency Coordinator (DEC): Manages regional clusters of counties.

    • Emergency Coordinator (EC): The local leader who manages the ARES unit for a specific county or city and interacts directly with local served agencies.

  • The ARES Plan: The charter mandates that local groups maintain an active emergency communications plan, hold regular training nets, and participate in annual simulated emergency tests (SET) to ensure personnel and equipment are always mission-ready.

Key Principle: ARES operators are strictly volunteers. Under FCC rules, they cannot receive financial compensation for their communication services, reinforcing the purely philanthropic and public-service nature of their charter.