ARES Acronymns and Chain of Command

by Bryan, K0EMT

The chain of command is: ARRL HQ, SM, SEC, DEC, EC, AEC, member.

ARRL = Amateur Radio Relay League
ARES = Amateur Radio Emergency Service
NTS  = National Traffic System
       (We use this system to get messages aka Formal Traffic around 
        the US/world.)

ARES and NTS are the two field branches of the ARRL for 
Emergency Communications and formal traffic.

SM is Section Manager, the ARRL manager for the section.
In our case the section is the whole state of Missouri.
Dale, K0KY is our SM.

SEC is the State Emergency Coordinator which is Don, KM0R.
The SEC is in charge of coordinating the ARES program for the state.

DEC's are the District Emergency Coordinator's.
Our districts are the same as the Highway Patrols "Troops."
So we are in District F.  Dale, AE0S is our DEC.

EC's are the County Emergency Coordinator's.
K0EMT, Bryan is the EC for Moniteau County.

AEC's are the Assistant EC's and help the EC's.
More than one AEC may be utilized for different duties or geographic areas.
AA0ZC, John is the AEC for Moniteau County.


DCC = Digital Communications Coordinator, Joe, K0OG
OES = Official Emergency Station, means they have taken extra steps
      to be prepared for emergency situations including back up power.
ORS = Official Relay Station - a liason to the NTS
PIO = Public Information Officer
OO  = Official Observer, they report and help to correct operating and
      procedural errors as well as intruders before an FCC citation is issued. 
 
      If the station that is in error fails to correct the problem,
      the OO works through the ARRL to document the issue for the FCC.
      OO's are usually adept at RF direction finding techniques.

MCAN  = Moniteau County ARES NET
MON   = MissOuri Net (Twice Daily CW NTS Net)
MOTRAN= Missouri TRAffic Net (Daily Phone NTS Net)
MESN  = Missouri Emergency Service Net, Sunday nights after MOTRAN
MESDN = Missouri Emergency Service Digital Net, Sunday nights after MESN


ICS = Incident Command System
ICMS= Incident Command Management System, a superset of ICS
EOC = Emergency Operations Center
EMA = Emergency Management Agency
EMD = Emergency Management Director, Kurt, KB0HNR
NCS = Net Control Station
NWS = National Weather Service
WX  = Weather
SVR WX = Severe Weather

ARECC = Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
EmComm = Emergency Communications


Common "Q Codes" have their origins in CW
QSY = Change Frequency
QSL = Acknowledge, I understand (can be used as a question, QSL?)
QRZ? = Who is calling me? Or, what's your callsign?
QTH = Location, usually refers to home, "my QTH"
QRT = Going off the air
QSB = fading on signal
QRM = man made interference (possibly from doubling, or jammer, etc.)
QRN = naturual interference (lightning or band conditions)
QST = Calling all amateur radio operators


If there is any acronym that you may have heard and not understood,
drop me a line and I'll do my best to look it up for you.

73,

Bryan - k0emt