CURRENT SRQARES STATUS: LEVEL 4

SRQARES is currently at at LEVEL 4 – ALL CLEAR status.

On February 7th 2026 SRQ ARES participated in the WCF Section SET exercise ‘DARK START’. There were approximtely 15 operators that checked in with Net Control operating from REDCOM on SAR 1 & SAR-2 linked repeaters. Thank you to all participants that joined in. Thank you to all of the WCF section staff for arranging this exercise and to the West Central Florida Group Inc. for the use of their NI4CE Analog and Digital repeater system.

Thank you for your participation and volunteering as an amateur radio operator and being an SRQARES member. Please continue to monitor this website as well as the SRQARES Informatio and Training Net at 1900L Thursdays on SAR-1 & 2 repeaters for updates regarding future drills and events.

~ SRQARES Management Team

SRQ ARES Mission Statement

ARES stands for Amateur Radio Emergency Service. SRQ ARES (Sarasota County ARES), is a volunteer organization of skilled Amateur Radio operators, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a field service activity of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), who provide non-commercial emergency communication services during emergencies and disasters as a public service to the American Red Cross, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, or as requested by any other agency in Sarasota County Florida, governmental or non-governmental. For those wondering, SRQ is the airport code for the Sarasota/Bradenton airport and is often times used as an abbreviation in reference to Sarasota County.

Who Makes Up SRQ ARES?

Membership is open to all licensed, Sarasota County Amateur Radio operators dedicated to volunteering their time, equipment, and skills for emergency communications needs. This reserve of volunteers, working as one organization, provides communications for Sarasota County communities and served agencies. Anyone, regardless of club or other Amateur Radio affiliations, with a sincere interest and desire to help the community with its emergency communication needs, is invited to apply for membership in SRQ ARES.