Emergency Communication Organizations

ARES & RACES Info

Everything you need to know about organized emergency communication in Southern California — who runs it, how to join, and what to expect.

What's the Difference?
📻
ARES
Amateur Radio Emergency Service

An ARRL program. Volunteer hams who provide emergency communications support for public agencies, hospitals, Red Cross, and other served agencies. Open to any licensed ham. Organized by county with an Emergency Coordinator (EC) in charge. No government affiliation — purely volunteer.

🏛️
RACES
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

A government program administered by FEMA. Hams who are registered with their local government (city, county, or state) to provide communications during declared emergencies. Only activated during official declarations. In many SoCal counties, ARES and RACES members are the same people operating under different authorities depending on the situation.

How to Join ARES in Southern California
🎙️ Getting Involved — Step by Step
  • Any license class can join ARES. Technician, General, and Extra are all welcome. You don't need HF privileges to be a valuable EmComm operator in your county.
  • Find your county EC. Use the ARRL's ARES section directory to find your county Emergency Coordinator. They're the point of contact for joining your local group.
  • Complete ICS training. Most SoCal ARES groups require ICS-100 and ICS-700 (free online through FEMA at training.fema.gov). Some also require ICS-200 and IS-800.
  • Check into the weekly ARES net. Each county has a weekly net — find yours in the Net Directory and start checking in. This is how you get to know the team.
  • Get RACES registered. Once you're active with ARES, your county EC can help you register with RACES through your county Office of Emergency Services.
  • Have your go-kit ready. A portable station with at least 12 hours of battery backup is the minimum. HT + spare battery, your ARES/RACES ID, and a copy of the county frequency plan.
SoCal ARES / RACES Contacts by County
CountyOrganizationPrimary NetResource
Los AngelesLA DCS / ARES LAX Division145.300 − DCS · Mon 7 PMarrllax.org
Orange CountyOC ARES / ACS146.895 − PL 136.5 · Mon 7 PMocares.org
San DiegoSan Diego Section ARES147.060 + PL 107.2 · Weeklyarrl.org/ares
RiversideRiverside County ARA / ARES146.880 − PL 146.2 · Mon 7 PMarrl.org/ares
San BernardinoSan Bernardino County RACES146.385 + PL 146.2 · Monthlyarrl.org/ares
VenturaVentura County ACS/ARES145.200 − PL 127.3 · Weeklyvccomm.org
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Section ARES3.867 LSB · HF Netarrl.org/ares
PAPA Outdoor Net8:00 AMSocialPAPA System (all analog)Recreational/outdoor adventure topic net. Hiking, camping, portable ops.
PARS Breakfast Net8:00 AMSocial145.180 − PL 107.2 (Mt. Woodson)Poway ARS breakfast net. May not run when in-person breakfast is held.
SD Ham Help Net9:00 PMSocial146.730 − PL 107.2 (Palomar)Elmer-style Q&A net — great for new hams seeking advice.
MARA EmComm Net8:45 PMEmComm147.075 + PL 107.2 (Palomar)Mesa ARA Emergency Services Net — San Diego area EmComm.
Key Resources
ARRL ARES
National ARES program page — find your section, EC directory, training resources, and how to enroll.
arrl.org/ares →
FEMA ICS-100 (Free)
Required by most SoCal ARES groups. Free online, takes about 3 hours. Complete this before your first activation.
training.fema.gov →
FEMA IS-700 (Free)
NIMS introduction — also required by most SoCal ARES groups. Free online. Pair with ICS-100 to meet basic requirements.
training.fema.gov →
OC ARES
One of SoCal's most organized county ARES groups — good model for what active EmComm looks like.
ocares.org →
Ventura County ACS/ARES
VC ACS/ARES is one of the best-organized systems in SoCal — great reference for nets, freqs, and training.
vccomm.org →
DARN — LA ARES Affiliate
DARN actively supports LA area ARES, Red Cross, and hospitals. Emergency-only use is free without membership.
darn.org →
☀️ HF CONDITIONS
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