Lesson 1 – Become Familiar

Become familiar with ARES procedures, both with on the air practice and off the air training.   Join in our nets to become a better net participant.  Through on the air practice as both a net member and an occaisional stint as net control, you will become the trained ARES amateur needed to be an asset to our served agencies.

Learn to listen carefully to what a net control may ask for.  Practice organizing your thoughts before transmitting. Make good use of air time.  Practice keeping your emergency communications transmissions to less than 15 seconds at a time.

Know your limitations and the limitations of your equipment.   While handheld radios have their place, a mobile radio with good antenna is preferable for ARES responses, especially for Severe Storm Spotting.  Be aware of how storms can attenuate your signal.

Learn patience.   Whether it is a severe weather net with a storm that keeps its own schedule, or in a disaster response when things are not going as planned.     During weather nets if you think you see something, be calm enough to report the initial sighing and patient enough to watch for it to persist.   Follow up on the status of any phenonema you reported.  NEVER leave a net or change positions during a net without informing net control of what you have or need to do.

Become familiar with procedures by listening, observing and participating.