FW: Polk County ARES Membership Update

[Laura Pennington]

** Copy of the ATTACHED EXCEL SHEET can be downloaded from the polkemcomm
web site  ** 
http://www.polkemcomm.org


Hello from the Polk County ARES Staff - 

 

As the ARES Guidelines require, we must update our membership roster
annually. In addition, we have been working to restructure our membership
classifications and requirements. Our current records show that you are
either a current Polk ARES member, or have previously indicated that you are
interested in joining our organization. As a reminder, there are no
membership dues to join ARES (however as we do not collect dues, we do not
host picnics, etc.).

 

Please review the below membership information...if you are interested in
joining or continuing your membership, please complete the attached Member
Information form and return it by reply email or bring it with you to a
regular meeting (held the last Thursday of each month, at the Polk County
EOC). Our next meeting is this coming Thursday, July 31, 2008, at 6:30 PM
(for map and more info - http://www.polkemcomm.org/meetings.htm). We will be
sending out similar forms on an approximately annual basis to ensure that
our records remain up-to-date. In the meantime, should your information
change, feel free to reply to this email or send an email to
"info at polkemcomm.org"

 

All ARES members will be issued Polk County ARES ID Cards upon receipt of
the attached form and a usable photo. Photos should be a 'head and
shoulders' type shot of the individual, or one that can be suitably cropped
- please do not send group photos. They can either be sent by email in a
.JPG format, or we will be taking photos at our regular meetings and other
activities. We are working with the County to produce these ID's, and they
should be available at the August meeting for those who complete forms and
submit photos in the next few weeks.

 

Polk ARES Membership Information:

 

The Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) minimum requirements for ARES
membership are simple: members must hold an amateur license and have an
interest in community service. Membership cards will be issued to all
members who meet the ARRL's basic requirements, regardless of membership
type. However, due to additional requirements from the agencies we serve,
certain training must be completed prior to becoming a fully deployable
member of the Polk County ARES organization. Therefore, in order to
accommodate the spirit of ARES as intended by the ARRL while still providing
a usable service to the Community, Polk ARES has set forth three membership
classifications.

*        Full Member: A full member in the organization has met all the
requirements of our served agencies, and as completed all requested
training. As such, a Full Member is fully deployable and able to serve in
any communications capacity foreseen by the organization. Members seeking
staff-level appointments may be asked to complete additional training beyond
what is required for Full Membership. In addition to the ARRL minimum
requirements, the following qualifications and training are currently
required for Full Membership:

*        must be 18 years of age

*        must reside in Polk County

*        must update membership information annually

*        must participate regularly in meetings, nets, and public service
events

*        must complete ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
Level 1 (Level 2 is recommended)

*        must complete FEMA online Independent Study Courses or EMI
equivalents:

*        IS-100

*        IS-200

*        IS-700

*        IS-800

*        ICS-300 (staff)

*        Associate Member: This designation is for members who wish to
become Full Members, but are still working on attaining the requirements.
This also encompasses "junior" members - those who are not yet 18 years of
age.

*        Supporting Member: This member classification is available for
those who want to be a part of the organization but are unable to make a
full participation and/or time commitment. This could include those who are
employed in emergency services fields, have existing commitments to other
emergency service organizations, are seasonal residents, or otherwise cannot
meet the expectations of Full Membership. All membership types will be
involved in all ARES activities including emergency response; it is just
understood that Supporting Members may have primary commitments elsewhere.

 

Now that you've reviewed the new membership types, hopefully you've found
one that can fit into your life! If so, then please fill out and return the
attached form. The information collected on the form will be used to build
our membership roster, contact you in the event of activation, and  will not
otherwise be shared outside the organization.

 

We hope to see you soon...73!

 

Laura Pennington

KI4ZJX

Assistant Emergency Coordinator

Polk County ARES

 

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