The Massachusetts RACES Program (Deprecated)

Introduction

EMa ARES works seemlessly with RACES to provide support to our communities.  Many RACES Officers hold appointments in the ARES program to realize that goal.  For a detailed description of the RACES program, please review the RACES plan online at http://www.qsl.net/n1cpe.

If you have questions on the RACES program in Massachusetts, please feel free to call the Massachusetts RACES hotline at 508-820-1428.  Please leave a message for Tom, N1CPE, and he’ll get back to you.

RACES in Massachusetts

(The following text provided courtesy of Tom, N1CPE, State RACES Radio Officer)

RACES organizations are formed and operated under the direction of the State or local emergency management agencies. Each individual RACES organization is managed by a State or local emergency management director with assistance from a RACES Officer.

STATE

The state RACES organization is appointed by the Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and provides overall coordination of inter-community RACES communication, training, and planning.  The State RACES organization also supports communications with other states and the Federal government.

The State RACES organization, with the Eastern and Western Massachusetts ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service);
conducts drills to train members and to test the effectiveness of the State amateur radio emergency communication plan.

LOCAL

In Massachusetts, in each individual community, RACES is controlled and operated by the local city or town government. The responsibility of a local RACES organization is to meet the needs of and to serve at the discretion of the local emergency management director. RACES radio operators are appointed by the local emergency management director to support the director’s activities. No state involvement is required in forming and appointing a local RACES organization. However, we do ask to be notified of local RACES officer/operator appointments for training and notification. Massachusetts Local Emergency Management Directors are asked to please send information on RACES appointments by US Mail to: RACES Coordinator, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, 400 Worcester Road Framingham, MA. 01701.

Photos courtesy W1MPN

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