Seminole ARES/RACES was incorporated in 2003 by a group of ham radio operators who wanted to serve the citizens of Seminole County and the surrounding area..

This says it all!  Amateur radio exists to provide emergency communications.  There is keen competition by commercial entities to secure portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, but the Federal Government sees a real need for a noncommercial service to provide vital communications in an emergency.  

    Amateur Radio operators, in an organization such as Seminole County ARES/RACES, are uniquely qualified to provide emergency communications for County agencies.  All of these agencies have very ample communications capabilities for their normal activities.  Even in the case of some localized disaster, the County agency's communications are most often quite adequate to cover their operational needs.  In the event of some form of county wide emergency situation, however, the communications capabilities of these agencies will probably be inadequate.  Seminole County ARES/RACES can thereby provide an immediate network of communications over paths that are not normally needed.  This Amateur Radio communications network can be adjusted and molded to fit the particular situation, providing a very valuable versatility, when it is needed the most.

    The material that follows is about Seminole County ARES/RACES.  It is hoped that it serves as a reference for your informed participation in this vital activity.

PURPOSES

The purposes for which Seminole County ARES/RACES is organized are as    follows:

  Needs:  To provide organized Amateur Radio communications to support county agencies in emergency situations wherein their normal communications are deemed inadequate.  This service will only be provided when any of the particular agencies call directly for assistance.

  Services:  The services to be provided will be in conjunction with the purposes and objectives of the following organizations:

  ARES:  The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the nationally recognized governing body of Amateur Radio Operators headquartered in Newington, Connecticut.  Through Memoranda of Understanding between ARRL and other national organizations, ARES provides emergency communications for those organizations, such as the American Red Cross (ARC).  The American Red Cross is represented in the Seminole County area by the Central Florida Chapter of ARC.  ARES will provide emergency services to the ARC using both local tactical communications and national long distance communications through the facilities of the ARRL's National Traffic System (NTS).

  RACES:  The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) was created by Federal Law.  It's mission is defined in the same Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations that govern Amateur Radio.  RACES operations provide emergency communications for local, state, regional and national governmental organizations under the aegis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  Although not formally associated with ARES, its mission is much the same.  In an emergency situation, the Seminole County ARES/RACES may be activated under the auspices of ARES needs, and later the entire operation may be converted to a RACES operation, depending upon governmental needs.

By Laws

For the latest revision of the cooperate bylaws click here.

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