ARES/RACES/REACT

[KC0UTE]

I'm curious as to what thoughts anyone has on the differences or similarities of ARES/RACES&REACT..seems in some places one may be more organized and ready for an actual Emergency than others..with training and weekly Nets and so forth..any thoughts?

[AC4BB]

Certainly not REACT.

[WA9SVD]

It's not exactly a fair comparison. Each has it's own niche, purpose, and function, and while some of their operations overlap, when they operate cooperatively, they can complimnet each other. But as an example, RACES and ARES are distinctly different services, with different agendas, and different methods of activation, but their functions in a disaster can and do overlap.
When a disaster strikes, the important job is to provide communications, and it matters little which service provides that, as long as the communications get through.

[K8YS]

Quote[/b] (KC0UTE @ Sep. 01 2005,00:34)]I'm curious as to what thoughts anyone has on the differences or similarities of ARES/RACES&REACT..seems in some places one may be more organized and ready for an actual Emergency than others..with training and weekly Nets and so forth..any thoughts?
In MOST areas, ARES and RACES are one in the same. It is ARES when RACES is not called upon, and RACES when something like New Orleans happens...

REACT is Citizen Band (come on REACT MEMBERS, flame away, I have seen REACT in operation, and YOU KNOW IT IS CB too).

You also need to consider SATERN, the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network. It is strong in some areas, others not so strong. This depends upon the Territory leadership.

The Red Cross also uses hams. In Cincinnati, it has a very strong presence, other areas not so strong.

It all depends on what is in your area.

If nothing, then start something. Contact your local ARRL leadership, contact the ARC, the county EMA and the Salies.

Each group has a different mission, your participation should agree with that mission.

[W5HTW]

RACES is the modern version of what used to be Civil Defense. . CD activities were not in ham bands, but were adjacent to them. RACES stations are activated by local or regional government entities only, and become a quasi-government communications service. I have read that no new RACES licenses are being issued. But entities with those licenses can accept new members -- I think!

ARES can activate itself in local chapters, for emergencies or training. It is not an extension of the government agencies, but an independent emergency radio organization.

I know little about REACT today. I hear conflicting opinions, and I do know some REACT organizations have hams and ham gear. My guess is they use it legally, but that has not always been the case.

REACT is where the vests, helmets and automobile light bars originated for volunteer communicators. In the early days of REACT it was filled with a huge number of wanna-be cops, who were often also wanna-be hams. The image was very poor. I witnessed REACT members following police cars at high rates of speed, on the way to an accident or a fire.

Gradually, I think REACT tamed some of that, from the 1970s, though I don't know that for a fact. I know it is very rare to see one of those cars now with the light bars, rewired headlights, badges painted on the sides, and multiple CB antennas. I haven't seen one in years, to be honest. I did see a photo of one here on QRZ a couple or so weeks ago, so it does still exist, but I don't think it is as prevalent as it once was.

For sincere interests in emergency communications, I recommend hams start with ARES. From there, they will find out more. ARES is the front line organization for emergency communication. RACES is more the long term support organization. REACT is ... well, I have no idea.

Ed


I have read on the ARRL website that no new RACES licences are being issued, so joining RACES may be a moot point.

[KC5SAS]

SouthEast Louisiana REACT Team members have been active here in the Baton Rouge area assisting with communications. #My #Team President, KD5KNZ, has logged many hours at the State EOC on the Ham station which is the ONLY commo with several Parishes. #Other SELA REACT members are assigned to Baton Rouge City/Parish EOC or other shelters. I just spent 14 hours working last night in Gonzales, La assigned as shelter comms at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center where almost 2,000 evacuees are sheltered and the Red Cross staff had no phone line and almost nonexistant cellphone service. My YL, KE5ECF, has spent the last 2 evenings at the Ascension Parish EOC working the radios there. #How busy was she? After 14 hours #working commos on 2 different repeaters her log was 8 pages long. #
Some REACT Teams may be using CBs and chasing ambulances but here in South East Louisiana those of us who are members of SELA REACT, http://www.selareact.org , are busy on the front lines providing trained ham radio operators where needed.
Steve,
SELA REACT

[KC0UTE]

Thanks for the replys all..much appreciated...I have 2 choices in the area I live in..ARES or React...from what I have seen the ARES isnt anything to write home about..I did contact the REACT President who also runs the Skywarn for the Co I am in..I was VERY impressed with him on the phone as he showed genuine interest in Myself and My thoughts about Emergency Comm..as well as the scheduled training and routine Comms they do for local clubs here for marathons and bike runs etc..just wanted an overview from some more experienced people than Myself before I make My decision as to where to go from here..Thanks again.
KCØUTE

[KB6DOL]

John,
Thank you for asking that important question. You have already received a few replies - some positive and some negative. REACT continues to live with old ideas by some just as the Red Cross does with their donut story.
REACT is far from just a CB club. Many members are hams and use amateur radio in addition to GMRS, FRS, business and marine bands.
In Southern California, my REACT team uses GMRS extensively with approximately 7 or 8 repeaters with coverage into at least 6 counties and have just about 100 members. Incidentally, our team is also an ARRL affiliated amateur radio club so when some folks bash us for being REACT they are also bashing those who share the same wavelengths. Of course this is not true with all REACT teams and that is the beauty of our organization. You design exactly how you will conduct your own team within your own jurisdiction while still following basic fundamentals of REACT International, Inc. Yes, REACT is international.
Communications is not a contest between what organization is the better. It is who can communicate from one place to another and pass on important and accurate information in time of need. Many of us already wear more than one hat and do a fine job of juggling the various hats to fit the occasion.
I am pleased you have entered the realm of communications with an open mind and test the water before deciding what temperature it is. We welcome you aboard and if you need anything further you may contact me personally.

73

Ed Greany, Executive Vice-president
REACT International, Inc.
Past-president CREST REACT Team 4252
EGreany@REACTintl.org

[n5ntg]

I've read all the postings prior to mine, and found some of the "opinions" to be interesting and perhaps even funny. #Some of these "opinions" were way out of date about most of today's REACT Teams. #I will admit there may still be a few Teams, mostly in the rural areas, who might still be hanging onto their CB radios, but those Teams who have survived and grown in mission over the years have moved on. #

As one example, please visit REACT International's REACT Board of Directors (http://reactintl.org/bod.homepage.htm) web page, and take a note of how few US Directors / Officers don't have ham call signs after their name. #Only one of the directors doesn't have a call sign listed, and we're working on that 'problem'.

I'm down in Central Texas, a bit west of where all the current ruckas is. # In the San Antonio area, we have one REACT Team that has members in four counties, named Hill Country REACT. #Some of our members are also ARES and Texas RACES members (including myself). #The ARES DEC is REACT. #We work closely with emergency management officials in three of the four counties. # Our membership is 98% amateur, counting a couple of wives who haven't been bit by the ham bug yet.

I'm fortunate in having a bride of 5-1/2 years who became my "extra" wife (AD5BR) about a year after we were first married by passing her extra class ham license. #She's jumped into the hobby with both feet and has become a mentor for the ARRL EmComm courses plus a CERT Trainer. #She's very supportative and often the first to volunteer to work a public event, training exercise or disaster relief operation.

Members of our local REACT Team are into digital communications such as Packet, PSK31, Echolink and APRS. The Team financially supports the operations of four repeaters, three GMRS repeaters and one 2 meter repeater, in two counties. We've got a fourth GMRS repeater in the works.#We have some digipeaters up for APRS and Packet and have been working on establishing a wider area VHF digipeater for Packet in near future to link up between San Antonio and the network up in Austin. # We provide radio communications to three parades and a large number of bike-a-thons, run-a-thons and triathlons, including helping provide operators for SARO ham club with their MS150 Bike to the Beach (3500 bicycle riders from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, 150 miles over 2 days).

We have helped activate three EOC's by providing ham operators when requested. #We're the first group to be called by officials in one county, the second in two others. We work closely with our neighbor ham clubs to build good working relationships with them, so that when the emergencies hit in our area, we don't have to ask "what do we do now". #We don't show up claiming to be in charge and telling the others to go home, (unless those were our instructions from emergency management, and the operator was falling asleep). We show up to help where needed, as needed, to be part of the solution, not the problem.

We know what to do, and how to use our comm trailer able to communicate on any ham band, GMRS, CB and commercial VHF (sheriff, VFD) frequencies, plus digital communications in a portable EOC mode.

Visit our Team Web Site (http://HillCountryREACT.org) or the area site I built a couple of years ago, or longer, called SanAntonioHams.org (http://SanAntonioHams.org), where you will find all the area clubs / groups listed with on-line member applications where available and more. #I have my company host many of the area ham club sites, and am the volunteer web master for several of them. #I even help a ham club over in Georgia, Camden County Amateur Radio Society (http://ccars.org).

Our team is active with the local Citizens Corps and VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) chapter. We're also working with the local CERT program and have talked about adding a brief communications module add-in, to explain to the CERT students how to use FRS radios for simple communications.

My own van is running dual band amateur radio, APRS tracker plus CB, although admittedly the CB hasn't been turned on for a couple of months since my return trip from California in June. #I ran an APRS tracker all the way out and back, plus running PSK31 on 20 meters from the rear of my van, while the wife drove on Field Day, 1,000 miles from LA to Los Cruces, New Mexico. #Had a blast answering operators who wanted to know how I was driving 70mph and typing at the same time. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #(hint: wife was driving much of the way.)

It's time for all of us to drop the stereotyping and internal bickering and get back to the business of communicating, however and where ever its needed. # REACT doesn't limit itself to using ONLY ham radio if other bands / radio services can also be effectively utilized.

'73 de N5NTG
Lee Besing - San Antonio, TX
Member of REACT
Secretary of local REACT team, Texas Council, REACT International Board
ARRL member
ARES member
Texas RACES member
SATERN member
Texas VHF/FM Society member
Member of 6 area ham clubs
Delegate to SAVOAD
Delegate to Alamo Regional Citizens Corps
Radio operator for over 31 years
and last but not least, proud to have an "extra" wife (AD5BR).

[N5IAG]

I'll tell y'all about yet another REACT Team. We still use CB, and back in the "good old days" did a darned good job of covering Dallas County handling emergency traffic and road assistance on CB Channel 9. During the height of the "CB Craze" Dallas County REACT kept its downtown base station on the air an average of 23 hours a day, and handled as many as 6000 calls per month. We were proud of what we did then, and those of us still around are still proud of what we did.

However, in 1989, CB was dying out (with the advent of cell phones) and, as DCR president, I realized that we needed a new direction. We had used GMRS for about 10 years, and since most of us were equipped with programmable UHF radios, it was a fairly simple task to start classes and qualify a growing number of Team members as amateurs. I was one of about 7 (of 70 or so) who already had our ham tickets. In 1990, we put our 70cm repeater on the air (to join our two GMRS repeaters), and today, our repeater is the 70cm repeater used for all training and other RACES activities for the City and County of Dallas (the Dallas Amateur Radio Club, founded 1914, furnishes the 2-meter repeater, which is linked to ours during RACES activities).

We became affiliated with the ARRL in 1990, and in 1991 became a Special Service Club -- the first Team in REACT to do either. (Today there are a number of REACT Teams affiliated with the ARRL).

Today, of 70 members, more than 40 are amateur radio operators, including 7 extra class, 2 advanced class, 11 general class, and the rest technicians. We have three past presidents of the Dallas Amateur Radio Club who've joined us, the Dallas City/County RACES officer is a member (and one of the two primary net control operators for Dallas RACES is also a member). Several years ago, the ARRL North Texas Section manager was a DCR member, and we've had several assistant SMs. One of our members has been president of the ARRL for about 5 years now.

Our Team has a 32-foot communications trailer, pulled by a one-ton "duallie" pickup (which is also outfitted with a number of radios, including a CB). The trailer has multiple communications capabilities, including 2 meters, 6 meters, 220 mHz, 440 mHz, all the HF bands, and both UHF and VHF business bands and the marine band. It has a 42 mHz transceiver on the Red Cross frequency, and yes, a CB. It has amateur-TV capability, and several weather report receiving capabilities.

We also have a 28-foot stepvan, which is used to haul equipment, but is also equipped with radios in the most-used radio frequencies (and yes, it has a CB).

We use our mobile communications center in support of a variety of community events, as well as having it available for emergency use. (We have five generators, including two built into the trailer, one built into the stepvan, and two portables).

Many of us are (individually) members of Dallas RACES and/or one of the five or so other RACES in Dallas County.

In addition to our 70-cm repeater and two GMRS repeaters, we have a wide-coverage APRS digipeter and support another group's 2-meter repeater, which entitles us to full use of it.

We're quite proud of the fact that, when the Dallas Area Red Cross had trouble keeping its radio communications center operational and finding operators, they asked Dallas County REACT to take over management of it. We are totally responsible for maintaining and operating it, and have been for almost 6 years now.

I went into some of the detail to illustrate Ed Greany's point that each REACT Team is different -- tailored to fit local circumstances. I'm sure that in some rural communities where CB is still widely used, local REACT Teams still use CB in their community activities, and they should, because it works. In Dallas, there's not much CB, and we've adapted. We tell our ham friends that "We don't restrict our activities to amateur radio, we use whatever means of communications gets the job done."

We don't call local REACT organizations "Teams" by accident. We think "club" implies a social activity (though as members of ham clubs, we well know that these clubs do useful things). We think "Team" sends the message that we primarily work together in our activities (though we can be very "social" also). It's all in how you look at it.

It's a shame that there are some amateur radio operators who absolutely refuse to consider that a REACT Team might be first rate, professional. I saw a lot of very quizzical looks in 1994 when Dallas County REACT hosted W1AW/5 at the annual ARRL Convention held at HamCom that year -- we were the only group in the area which had mobile equipment capable of handling it! There were still some quizzical looks (but not nearly so many) when we AGAIN were asked to host W1AW/5 during the next ARRL convention at HamCom in 2003. Just think -- a "redneck bunch of REACT CBers" hosted W1AW/5, not once but twice. What must ham radio be coming to?

Charles A (Chuck) Thompson
DCR Unit 44, KAD4253, N5IAG
Secy/Treas (and Past Pres), Dallas County REACT
General Counsel (and Past Pres), REACT International

[n4aof]

Quote[/b] (K8YS @ Sep. 01 2005,11:34)]In MOST areas, ARES and RACES are one in the same.
Well, honestly I can't say that I have been in "MOST areas" of the country personally; but I have been in New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida since getting my ticket. #I would be fairly confident in saying that "MOST" is a great exaggeration. #

In MOST cities/counties that I have seen, the above is simply not true. #There are a few areas (Clayton County, Georgia, for example) where RACES and ARES really are the same. #There are a few areas where RACES and ARES both exist totally independently although there may be considerable overlap in members (Jefferson County Kentucky, for example). There are also places where ARES claims to be RACES, but isn't because the local EMA has never actually registered the members and expects to rely on the local ham club that calls itself ARES/RACES.

In most cities/counties that I have seen, there simply is no RACES organization at all. #In most of the country, the local EMA director position is a part-time position at best; most local EMA directors are not hams and most states don't have a RACES Radio Officer position at the state level - the combination results in many counties having no idea what RACES is or what the requirements are to establish a RACES unit. #Some jurisdictions do understand RACES but refuse to have a RACES unit because of the liability issues.

ARES is more widespread (at least in name), largely because it has no requirements at all. #ARES consists of any ARRL member that the Section Emergency Cooridnator can get to accept an EC appointment, plus any hams who let the EC put their names on a roster. #In most ARRL Sections the SEC has managed to find someone to accept an EC appointment in every (or almost every) county. #Whether or not that EC has ever done anything varies greatly from county to county.

Quote[/b] ]REACT is Citizen Band (come on REACT MEMBERS, flame away, I have seen REACT in operation, and YOU KNOW IT IS CB too).

No need for a flame, but obviously you haven't seen "most" REACT teams. #PERHAPS you have seen Tri-County REACT in West Chester Ohio, perhaps you are old enough to have seen one of the older REACT Teams in the Queen City area such as the former OH-KY-IN REACT. #But no, I doubt you have ever seen OH-KY-IN REACT because apparently you don't remember their repeater in Cincinnati on 462.625MHz.

Certainly there are many REACT Teams that still use CB as one of their methods of communication -- REACT is a multi-service organization that uses whichever method is most appropriate to the mission. #CB is typically used when it is needed to communicate with the public or with other organizations that don't have much of a communications system. (Something neither RACES nor ARES can do at all). #As others have explained, GMRS, MURS, and FRS are far more common that CB in most REACT Teams, with GMRS and Amateur Radio being probably the most common.

But to get back to the original question, the biggest difference between RACES, ARES, and REACT is that in an emergency RACES and REACT are focused on the "served agency" while in too many areas ARES is typically focused on hams talking to hams about the emergency without effective links to any agency. #RACES has the EMA as its specific served agency. #And, of course, there is also SATERN which is also a single agency organization focused on working for/with the Salvation Army disaster relief program.

73 de N4AOF

[N5PVL]

Each of these organizations are useful, but none of them are consistent from place to place. - That is to say, none of them are universally supported or participated in.

So, in one city the REACT guys might be much better organized and more generally useful than the local ARES or RACES stuff.

You can take the sentence above and shuffle the acronyms around to describe the variety of situations you might find in one city or county as opposed to another.

What this tells me is that it is the people that make these things work, not which organization they choose to work with ( or around ) in order to provide ecomms.

[WA9SVD]

Quote[/b] (W5HTW @ Sep. 01 2005,12:33)]RACES is the modern version of what used to be Civil Defense. . CD activities were not in ham bands, but were adjacent to them. RACES stations are activated by local or regional government entities only, and become a quasi-government communications service. I have read that no new RACES licenses are being issued. But entities with those licenses can accept new members -- I think!

ARES can activate itself in local chapters, for emergencies or training. It is not an extension of the government agencies, but an independent emergency radio organization.

I know little about REACT today. I hear conflicting opinions, and I do know some REACT organizations have hams and ham gear. My guess is they use it legally, but that has not always been the case.

REACT is where the vests, helmets and automobile light bars originated for volunteer communicators. In the early days of REACT it was filled with a huge number of wanna-be cops, who were often also wanna-be hams. The image was very poor. I witnessed REACT members following police cars at high rates of speed, on the way to an accident or a fire.

Gradually, I think REACT tamed some of that, from the 1970s, though I don't know that for a fact. I know it is very rare to see one of those cars now with the light bars, rewired headlights, badges painted on the sides, and multiple CB antennas. I haven't seen one in years, to be honest. I did see a photo of one here on QRZ a couple or so weeks ago, so it does still exist, but I don't think it is as prevalent as it once was.

For sincere interests in emergency communications, I recommend hams start with ARES. From there, they will find out more. ARES is the front line organization for emergency communication. RACES is more the long term support organization. REACT is ... well, I have no idea.

Ed


I have read on the ARRL website that no new RACES licences are being issued, so joining RACES may be a moot point.
Although no further RACES licenses are being issued, that has little to do with their purpose, usefulness, or existence. The operations now are run by individuals using their own call, that's the only difference. But it WAS considered rather wasteful to squander individual callsigns on RACES stations, when they were permitted very limited use in non-emergency times. But RACES has not been phased out.

A second thought: There are some REACT temas made up of decent, law-abiding, dedicated individuals. Just because they have chosen an alternate radio Service (other than Amateur Radio) to provide communications in emergencies does not mean they are catagorically any less capable or helpful. And in a disaster as immense as the Hurricane Katarina aftermath, any and all communication menas and services are invaluable. And there ARE many Amateur Radio operators who belong to REACT as well as ARES and/or RACES. You wear the hat that fits at the time, and CB does have legitimate uses. Afterall, a REACT member could lend his (CB) radio to anyone, to allow direct communications to be carried out without an intermediary. An Amateur couldn't do that without being present and acting as a control operator. And if the communication had to be from a hazardous area or situation... Better to hand a radio to the person and wish them luck than to have to go with them!

Certainly, there are "Cop Wanna-be's" among the CB users, whether or not they belong to REACT. But Ham Radio has it's share of the same type of individuals, whether or not THEY belong to ARES or RACES. (Witness the threads here and other forums concerning "Police Shield" type Amateur Radio badges!)
Neither group needs (and actually despises) the "wanna-be's" because they only interfere and give a bad name to the group they think (or pretend) they represent.

But especially now, don't downplay (or deny) the assistance non-Amateurs can provide in an emergency situation. We don't really have a monopoly on being the "sole communicators" in an emergency situation.