In the
American Radio Relay LeagueThe American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...
and the
Radio Amateurs of CanadaRadio Amateurs of Canada , known in French as Radio Amateurs du Canada, is a member-based, non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in Canada...
, the
Section Emergency Coordinator is the assistant to the
section managerIn the American Radio Relay League and the Radio Amateurs of Canada , the section manager is an elected volunteer who implements and manages ARRL / RAC programs in the section, which is an administrative division of the organization that consists of a state, or part of state for the ARRL and a...
for
amateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
emergency communicationsIn times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications fail....
preparedness. The SEC is appointed by the Section Manager to take care of all matters pertaining to
amateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
emergency communications and the
Amateur Radio Emergency ServiceIn the United States and Canada, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is a corps of trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications...
(ARES) on a sectionwide basis. The SEC post is one of top importance in the section and the individual appointed to it should devote all possible energy and effort to it. There is only one SEC appointed in each section of the
American Radio Relay LeagueThe American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...
Field Organization.
SEC qualifications
1. Encourage all groups of community amateurs to establish a local emergency organization.
2. Advise the SM on all section emergency policy and planning, including the development of a section emergency communications plan.
3. Cooperate and coordinate with the
section traffic managerThe Section traffic manager is an appointed position within the American Radio Relay League field organization. The STM is appointed by the ARRL section manager to supervise traffic handling organization at the section level—that is, to coordinate all traffic efforts within the section,...
so that emergency nets and traffic nets in the section present a united public service front, particularly in the proper routing of Welfare traffic in emergency situations. Cooperation and coordination should also be maintained with other section leadership officials as appropriate, particularly with the state government liaison and public information coordinator.
4. Recommend candidates for emergency coordinator and district emergency coordinator appointments (and cancellations) to the section manager and determine areas of jurisdiction of each amateur so appointed. At the SM's discretion, the SEC may be directly in charge of making (and canceling) such appointments. In the same way, the SEC can handle the official emergency station appointments.
5. Promote ARES membership drives, meetings, activities, tests, procedures, etc., at the section level.
6. Collect and consolidate emergency coordinator (or district emergency coordinator) monthly reports and submit monthly progress summaries to the SM and ARRL headquarters. This includes the timely reporting of emergency and public safety communications rendered in the section for inclusion in
QSTQST is a magazine for amateur radio enthusiasts, published by the American Radio Relay League . It is a membership journal that is included in membership with the ARRL. The publisher claims that circulation of QST in the United States is higher than all amateur radio-related publications in the...
.
7. Maintain contact with other communication services and serve as liaison at the section level with all agencies served in the public interest, particularly in connection with state and local government, civil preparedness,
Federal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
, Red Cross,
Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, the
National Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
, and so on. Such contact is maintained in cooperation with the State Government Liaison.