Membership is open to all licensed 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 the above listed 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 subject to review and approval by the county Emergency Coordinator (EC). All applicants are subject to a personal interview and acceptance by two members of the Management Team as designated by the EC. Members should be encouraged to join a local amateur radio club and the ARRL.

All SRQARES Personnel are strongly encouraged to participate in continuing their education through various local, state, and federal programs such as Auxiliary Communications (Auxcomm). As needed, the SRQARES organization may choose to add special training courses to fulfill local requirements and obligations.

1. New members are required to complete a member registration form with SRQARES at the time of joining SRQARES.
2. They must Subscribe to our Groups.io mail list at SRQARES+subscribe@groups.io.
3. They must attend a 90 minute SRQARES team orientation within 60 days of registration.
4. They MUST register themselves in the Florida SERT TRAC database at https://trac.floridadisaster.org/trac/loginform.aspx.

Currently, there are three levels of membership in SRQARES. Three levels of training will allow SRQARES participants to enter the program and migrate to higher levels of qualification and service. These three levels of training are in alignment with ARRL ARES requirements.

This is the primary level of training and proficiency for those who choose a non-leadership role as well as those new to Amateur Radio or emergency communications. This introductory training is conducted by the local ARES group to meet their needs and those of their served agency or partners. This training could be formal or informal, and would introduce the ARES participant to the fundamentals of emergency communications and provide instruction on how participants are to conduct themselves while serving in the field or otherwise activated. Participants may elect to remain at this level, or any level, based upon the extent of their desired ARES involvement. Minimum qualifications for Level 1 competency are:

• Apply for Student ID with FEMA Emergency Management Institute <apply>
• Complete IS-100 Introduction to ICS <register>
• Complete IS-200, Basic Inciden Command System <register>
• Upload you completion certificates to SERC TRAC database
• Email copy of your completion certificates to admin@srqares.org
• Participation in one weekly ARES net each calendar month
• Attend one monthly training session per calendar quarter
• Participation in one exercise or drill each year

Optional and recommended qualifications:

• Be the Net Control Station of a weekly SRQARES net
• Use WinLink to send, receive and reply to email and ICS-213 message forms
• Complete a CERT Basic course <visit Emergency Management Website>

To qualify for this level, participants shall have completed the following:

• ARRL’s EC-001 Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications <register>
• IS-700 Introduction to NIMS <register>
• IS-800, National Response Framework <register>
• Complete National Weather Service SkyWarn training course.
• Upload you completion certificates to SERC TRAC database
• Email copy of your completion certificates to admin@srqares.org
• Participation in one weekly ARES net each calendar month
• Attend one monthly training session per calendar quarter
• Participation in one exercise or drill each year
• Be the Net Control Station of a weekly SRQARES net
• Use WinLink to send, receive and reply to email and ICS-213 message forms

This level of training prepares ARES participants to take on leadership positions such as EC, ADEC, DEC, ASEC, and SEC, and other designated positions in the ARES program. Participants are required to complete:

ARRL’s online EC-016, Emergency Communications for Management that includes the FEMA Professional Development Series of courses IS- 120, IS-230, IS-240, IS-241, IS-242, IS-244, and IS-288 the Role of voluntary Organizations in Emergency Management <register>

Participants also are encouraged to complete the FEMA courses IS- 300, and IS-400 should they be available locally.