Montana's Ham Radio Forum

Class date has passed, but 3 more classes are being worked on when funding is secured. This is copied from the "Heard across Montana" newsletter from an electronic newsletter for public safety.

Bi-Weekly Newsletter: http://pssb.mt.gov/ham.mcpx

Amateur Radio Operators Urged to Mark the Date! Amateur radio operators or organizations that
work with public safety and/or cross-disciplinary emergency response personnel are encouraged to
set aside Sat-Sun, Aug. 25-26 to attend a special Auxiliary Communications Workshop (AUXCOMM)
in Billings. Developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications, this workshop is designed for amateur radio/auxiliary communicators or groups who provide emergency communications back-up support for planned or unplanned events at a tribal, State/Territory, regional or local level. The curriculum focuses on educating attendees about auxiliary communications interoperability, emergency operations center etiquette, on-the-air etiquette and FCC rules and regulations. It also will address auxiliary communications training and planning, certification and accreditation, and emergency communications deployment. It is intended to supplement and standardize an operator’s basic knowledge of emergency amateur radio communications in a public-safety context. Class will run from 8:00 am until approximately
6:00 pm each day with facilitated lecture and student exercises. This course builds in time for interactive discussions and exercises. The cadre will work through discussions and exercises to explain processes to reach communications operability and interoperability. In addition, the opportunity to incorporate additional communications participant solutions will be available.
No tuition is being charged for the course; however, certain prerequisites are required. For more information on these and course registration, please contact Todd Gansel, ARRL Montana
Emergency Section Coordinator.

Seems as though not all the information on Aux Comm is being properly deceminated. Auxillary Communications will not, I repeat, will not replace ARES! This is right from Montana State DES Office. They are working on a letter to help put out the fire with ARES and Aux Comm.

NOW....The other issue people don't know is this: Aux Comm requirements are as follows to be a certified member of Montana State DES Aux Comm.

1) Must have a General License
2) Must completed ICS 100, 200, 700, 800 and now 802
3) Attend and complete a 2 day Aux Comm course
4) Must submit to a background check
5) Participate in 2 exercises a year
6) Participate in NET's (number yet to be determined)

Aux Comm has basically taken some of ARES, all of RACES and rolled it into a group of state qualified communicators. IT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR ARES! It will enhance the states capablility in having a well rounded pool of volunteer communicators.