The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) is chartered with providing emergency communications support. This support can take many forms, but it does by its very concept include the transmission of third-party messages for our partner organizations and the communities we serve. Training in both net operating and message formatting can be found in several well-regarded publications, including The Amateur Radio Public Service Handbook, first edition; The ARRL Operating Manual, eleventh edition; The National Traffic System’s NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines (http://www.arrl.org/files/file/NTS_MPG2014.pdf);
The NTS Manual (http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/NTS_Manual2015.pdf); and The ARES Field Resource Manual.

The organization should not limit itself to any specific messaging format or system, but develop the operating skills and capacity to accommodate a wide variety of formats to meet the ever-changing needs due to propagation, agency requirements, or technology.

Some things to keep in mind:

• ARES, as it is working with its partners, will need to handle messages and send those messages using partner-preferred forms in lieu of or in addition to NTS Radiograms.

• ARES will need to accept responsibility and be held accountable for timely delivery and tracking of messages, which were sent on behalf of partners.

• ARES participants — as their skills (qualifications) improve via training and performing tasks — shall be familiar with, and use, multiple digital communication protocols for messaging.

• ARES groups should invite NTS personnel to work with them as they assist with messaging for their Partners. However, the protocols used by ARES and its partners will necessarily take priority over other alternative system.