Em-Comm really needs over hauled. Most places have different levels of certifications or licensing, why not Em-Comm? Ham Radio has 3 levels currently obtainable with two other valid license classes no longer issued. Colleges have two undergrad degrees and post graduate degree. Unions have apprentices to journeyman. Regrettably in most Em-Comm are run by friends where subordinates are usually reporting to lesser trained or capable events. ARES as a group of "registered" volunteers is not even an organization in the traditional sense. Being a "registered list" appears to be a way of avoiding liability. This would be O.K. for Ham operating like a first aider for when they might find them self needed. Injecting themselves into an event or incident brings them into a different level from being a first aider and more of a duty to provide and requiring a higher level of training. ARES requires no training, background checks or anything beyond a Technician or higher license. The registration form for ARES is more of a questionnaire on contact information and equipment. The next issue is the question of background checks, there is none. One of the ARES county teams I'm aware of had a member convicted of patricide. While you can argue "who would have known" he had previous history. Convicted of making hoax bombs and a history of vandalism he was allowed to join (become a registered volunteer) of ARES. Another person allowed to participate in an ARES event had been convicted of over $80,000 in bank fraud and identity. Interesting the ARRL runs a VE program and ARES they have no real standards for either. One can be a sex offender or criminal and there is no objection. On the Other hand the Official Observer with no real contact with other people requires a test and Section Manager subjective approval.
It depends on who you think is "in charge" of emcomm. ARES is an ARRL function, and has no real requirements as mentioned. ICS is a federal program, and may or may not be required by your state or county EMA. AA3EE
Don't forget that ARES is really a meta-organization. ARES itself doesn't have too much in the way of requirements for membership, but individual ARES groups might have higher standards. Personally, I'm fond of the AUXCOMM model that FEMA seems inclined to promote. If/when it gains momentum and critical mass, a certain level of training will qualify a communications volunteer to be an AEC (or whatever the title/acronym is this week), which would be a designated, low-level communications volunteer position in the ICS tree. (Before someone goes there: a significant component of the AEC training can be best described as "how not to be a whacker" or "expectations set so as to annoy and drive away whackers". No shields, no identifying uniforms, low-level grunt work, etc.) The catch with the AUXCOMM/AEC concept in some ARES minds is that it's not amateur radio. Volunteers in the role might learn communications skills on amateur radio, but other services might be used. In extreme situations, maybe local ham gear might be scrounged and put to use, but more likely AECs would be working with cached Part 90 gear, working with nets on public safety frequencies. And, while the AEC class I went through didn't quite come out and say it this explicitly, it seemed like FEMA was biased in favor of municipalities/agencies leading the way with establishing and training pools of communications volunteers; think about the RACES or CERT models, rather than "the ARES group" structure that exists in some (many?) places in the US. Setting aside my dislike for bureaucracy, concern over the quasi-militarization of disaster response in the US, etc.... given the climate and culture that exists in the US these days, the whole AEC concept seems more realistic and workable (IF it's ever bought into by local entities) than the ARES cat-herding we have now. (That isn't to say that the ARES concept can't work, or that some ARES groups don't have good relationships with agencies that might make use of them....but it's my impression that those situations are more an exception than the actual rule.)
Most ICS classes I have attended were so poorly done it was embarrassing. Yes I have taken them all including the ICS "Train the Trainer". In the two large communities I have been neither had any requirement beyond being registered. In Columbus, Ohio they have people participate who don't even have a license. My first event working for ARES was a college football game with roughly 120,000 in attendance. Beyond my name they asked nothing and simply gave me an assignment. No communication plan I didn't have a clue as to tactical callsign or even frequencies we were using. Well qualified people will refuse to work with rogue and incompetent leadership. Appointing friends over qualified people is a major problem. Setting standards and requirements makes the entire pool elevate themselves. Waiving standard and promoting drinking buddies makes the pool disillusioned and unmotivated to advance.
