The North Texas Section asks that all ARES members complete a series of training sessions within the first year. The training focuses familiarizing yourself with standard practices of agencies (fire, law enforcement, healthcare, etc.) that we would likely work with.
The required training is free and most is offered through FEMA. Almost every first responder in the country is required to have this training. While only a few are required, there are literally hundreds of courses available (most self-paced online courses). Feel free to browse the catalog and take whatever interests you.
Skywarn training is also required. That can be done during Rusk County's annual training evening (usually in March) or online at the anytime. The online may be more convenient, but you can ask questions and get a lot of good information at the live training evening.
Getting Started
First, log on to FEMA's site (https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid) and register for the Student ID. This is required for all courses. It was created to avoid using your social security number.
After you have your number, you may begin taking courses.
Taking the Course
Go to the FEMA training site (https://training.fema.gov/is/) and find the course you want to take. You can click on the Course List on the left or search for a specific course or keyword using the search area near the top right.
The REQUIRED courses are: IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800 (Note: Sometimes you'll see these referred to as ICS or IS.) There is also a list of additional recommended courses, some offered free at FEMA's site and some that cost through the ARRL.
The EXAM
After completing the training, take the exam by following the link on the course page. After passing the exam, save the certificate as a PDF and forward a copy to me (W5CWT@arrl.net or my regular email address). I will add it to our ARES records.
For a complete list of the required AND Recommended training, visit the North Texas ARES site: http://www.arrlntx.org/ares-training
