“…This week, ARRL section managers were asked to recommend up to five students to sign up to take the Level I Amateur Radio Emergency Communications on-line course. These individuals also will receive additional training to become instructors and mentors…”SB QST @ ARL $ARLB050
ARLB050 Emergency Communications Training to Begin September 1
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ARRL Bulletin 50 ARLB050>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 16, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB050
ARLB050 Emergency Communications Training to Begin September 1
Amateur Radio emergency communications training supported by a $181,900
federal homeland security grant will begin within a few weeks. The
League was among several dozen nonprofit organizations designated to
receive some $10.3 million in federal money to boost homeland defense
volunteer programs. During its first year, the grant–from the
Corporation for National and Community Service special volunteer
program–will reimburse the cost of Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Course training for up to 1700 volunteers.
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says the national
program will begin September 1 with the recruitment of at least 200
additional mentors and trainers. These volunteers then will help to
manage and train the student load during the first year of the grant.
Hobart and Dan Miller, K3UFG–formerly ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education Program Coordinator and now the Emergency Communications
Course Manager–have been working with CNCS to expedite the grant
details.
This week, ARRL section managers were asked to recommend up to five
students to sign up to take the Level I Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications on-line course. These individuals also will receive
additional training to become instructors and mentors. Hobart pointed
out that additional mentors and instructors will be needed to help
handle the expected volume of students training under the grant program.
Anyone who has already completed the Level I course is qualified to
become a mentor with some additional training. Mentor candidates should
contact Dan Miller, k3ufg@arrl.org, for information on how to take part.
Once the ARRL members hand-picked by section managers to train as
mentors have completed the program, registration for routine Level I
training will open October 1, initially for ARRL field appointees.
Miller anticipates that the program will continue to handle
approximately 200 students per month. ”As much as we’d like to, we
can’t train everyone at once,” he said. ”Please be patient.”
To comply with grant requirements, the ARRL also will survey served
agencies and certain segments of the amateur population. Hobart said the
League wants to ensure that the course offered accurately represents
”what really happens in the field” during an emergency or disaster.
Students taking advantage of Level I emergency communications training
under the grant program will be asked to pay for the course via credit
card during the registration process. Level I course candidates from
Connecticut will continue to be trained under a $33,000 grant from
United Technologies Corporation to expand Amateur Radio emergency
communications training opportunities. Upon successfully completing the
training and certification, students will be reimbursed the $45 fee.
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