About ARES & ACS
The details behind the team, for prospective members and partner agencies.
On this page
ARES and ACS
ARES
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
The ARRL’s volunteer program, open to any licensed ham.
ACS
Auxiliary Communications
Spokane County Emergency Management’s volunteer radio unit, open to ARES members who pass a Sheriff’s Office background check.
RACES
The FCC’s rule for amateurs serving government (97.407). The county’s RACES program is now part of ACS, so older documents say “ARES/RACES.”
AUXCOMM
The federal qualification ACS is modeled on, not a separate group to join.
What we are not
- Not first responders. We support the agencies that respond.
- Not a replacement for 911 or the county’s radio systems.
- Not a public alert service. For alerts, register with ALERT Spokane (opens spokanecounty.gov).
- Not a source of official incident information.
The legal basis, in plain English
| Layer | Rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | 47 CFR Part 97 (opens ecfr.gov) | Every member holds an FCC license. |
| Federal | 97.407, RACES (opens ecfr.gov) | Agency-certified operators, civil-defense traffic only, drills capped at one hour a week (more with approval). |
| State | RCW 38.52 (opens leg.wa.gov) and WAC 118-04 (opens leg.wa.gov) | Emergency-worker registration and coverage. |
| County | Spokane County emergency plan, 2021 | ACS supports ESF-2, the county’s communications function. |
What this means for you. Protection comes from being a registered county emergency worker (the ACS path) on an activity with a state mission number. ARES-only activities, such as community events, are not county activations.
Who we serve
- Spokane County Emergency Management: primary; activates ACS.
- National Weather Service, Spokane: SKYWARN.
- Area hospitals: backup communications.
- Community event organizers.
Agreements
- Inland Empire VHF Radio Amateurs (IEVHFRA), MOU Revision 5 (May 6, 2023): a backup repeater, a second repeater for special nets, and packet paths into Winlink.
- National, through the ARRL: FEMA (2023), American Red Cross (renewed 2021), NWS SKYWARN (1986).
How we work with agencies
Agencies request support through Spokane County Emergency Management.
Organization and leadership
- ARRL
- Eastern Washington Section
- ARES District 9
- Washington Emergency Management Division
- Spokane County Emergency Management
Director: the Sheriff - ACS
Emergency Coordinator + AECs
One team
The Emergency Coordinator is appointed through the ARRL Section and also serves as the county’s RACES/ACS officer.
| Spokane County unit | Call sign |
|---|---|
| Emergency Coordinator; website admin | W7TSC |
| AEC, Public Events; Winlink coordinator | NV2Z |
| AEC, Hospital Coordinator | K7MHG |
| AEC, Logistics & Comms; W7GBU license trustee | K7DSR |
| AEC, Net Manager | AG7QP |
| Public Information Officer | Open position Interested? Tell us. |
| SKYWARN representatives | AA7RT, W7UWC |
| Eastern Washington Section | Call sign |
|---|---|
| ARRL Section Manager | KA7LJQ |
| Section Emergency Coordinator | AG7QP |
| ARES District 9 Emergency Coordinator | WA7EC |
Joining
- No membership dues.
- Members use their own radios, any brand. You need nothing to visit.
ARES
- Fill out the Spokane County ARES Membership Application (2024-11-07). It includes a county non-disclosure agreement.
- Hand it to the Emergency Coordinator or an AEC at a meeting, or email it.
- Track your training in the ARRL ARES Task Book.
ARRL membership isn’t needed to join. The ARRL requires it from its Intermediate level up; EC and AEC appointments also need the Advanced level.
ACS (optional)
- Join ARES.
- Submit the county’s Volunteer Emergency Worker Application (opens spokanecounty.gov).
- Pass the Sheriff’s Office background check. The county assigns your volunteer number.
- Attend New Member Orientation. It’s held regularly; ask us for the next date.
- Serve as a New Member, normally up to a year, while you finish Level 1.
- Advance to Radio Operator and receive your ACS ID card.
Training and task books
Task books list what each level requires. The Emergency Coordinator or any AEC signs off items; the EC signs off each level.
ACS Position Task Book (2024-08-09)
| Level | Once | Regularly |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: New Member | Orientation; FEMA IS-100.c, 200.c, 700.b, 800.d; ARRL Basic EmComm; HIPAA; ALERT Spokane | Net check-in monthly; meeting or workshop quarterly; field operation yearly; kits ready and handheld programmed yearly; ICS-309 log on every operation |
| Level 2: Radio Operator (RADO) | Radio room and trailer competency; ARRL Intermediate EmComm | Net control yearly; ICS-214 log; First Aid/CPR every two years |
| Level 3: Senior Radio Operator (S-RADO) | General license; set up the Mobile Network Units | Winlink over VHF yearly; lead or assist an event yearly |
| Level 4: Leadership | FEMA IS-120, 230, 235, 240, 241, 242, 244, 288 | Radio support for an event or the county, yearly |
Higher levels keep up the New Member requirements. Encouraged: weekly check-ins, monthly meetings, SKYWARN training, the AUXCOMM course.
FEMA courses are free online: course links ACS Task Book (DOCX)
ARRL ARES levels
They use the same courses: Basic = Level 1’s FEMA and ARRL Basic courses; Intermediate adds ARRL Intermediate EmComm; Advanced = Level 4’s FEMA courses, minus IS-120 and IS-235.
ARRL ARES Task Book (PDF) (opens arrl.org)
Equipment
- Personal kit: food, water, clothing, hygiene items and medication for 24 hours minimum, 72 preferred.
- Radio kit: 2 m and 70 cm radios, spare batteries, antenna, coax and power for 24 to 72 hours. HF and Winlink encouraged.
Getting licensed
The Technician exam works like a driver’s written test, except every question in the pool is published in advance.
Three ways to study
- On your own: free practice sites such as HamStudy.org (opens hamstudy.org) drill the real questions.
- With a class: local license classes (opens ag7qp.com).
- Online: ARRL study guides and video courses.
Where to take the exam
| Option | When | Where | Exam fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| After a local class | End of class day | Class location | $15 |
| Washington Digital Radio Enthusiasts (Laurel VEC) (opens wa7dre.org) | Usually 3rd Wednesday, 6:00 PM | Action Recycling, 1027 E Marietta Ave, Spokane | None |
| Kootenai Amateur Radio Society (opens k7id.org) | 2nd Monday, 5:30 PM (not December) | Kootenai County OEM, 1662 W Wyoming Ave, Hayden, ID | $15 |
| Online (GLAARG) (opens hamstudy.org) | Many sessions | Book through HamStudy | Varies |
- FCC fee: $35 for a new license, on top of the exam fee.
- Bring: photo ID, your FCC Registration Number (FRN, get it before exam day), and your license if upgrading.
- Under 18: the ARRL VEC exam fee is $5, and the ARRL reimburses the FCC fee.
- Before you’re licensed: listen, visit, or take SKYWARN training.
History and W7GBU
The W7GBU story
Our call sign honors Ira “Dean” Bula, W7GBU. For years he handed out technical wisdom and friendly advice from the counter at Northwest Electronics. Each morning he led an on-air round table on the repeater that now carries his call. Newly licensed hams found him there, and it became the 7:30 Bunch, which still meets weekday mornings. When the county retired the repeater’s old call sign, the Spokane County ARES-RACES Support Group applied for Dean’s call to inspire its members.
“He was a person who made a difference in Spokane by making others feel like they could make a difference themselves.”
Timeline
- 1999 SKYWARN Recognition Day station at NWS Spokane, every year since.
- 2004 The earliest website records show the Tuesday net and Third Thursday meeting.
- 2017 The FCC grants W7GBU’s current club license. Second Saturday workshops begin.
- 2019 The county sets up ACS.
- 2026 New net scripts and a new website.
Contact
| For | Address |
|---|---|
| Joining | join@spokares.org |
| Agencies and partners | ec@spokares.org |
| This website | webmaster@spokares.org |
In person: see Come visit.