2017 Spring Graduating Class
Nine Amateur Radio operators are now trained in emergency communications after a class offered by St. Louis Metro Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES). Students and Field Instructor Peter Brisbine, N0MTH, met each Saturday in March at Barnes Jewish West County Hospital. The final exam on March 25th completed the certification for this group from St. Louis City (2), Saint Louis County (3), St. Charles County (2), Lincoln County (1), and Warren County (1). The list of graduates is:
| · Jim Cline, KC0DTD
· Sharon Giacomo, K0SPG · Paul Gill, KB0WMV · Michael Hamilton, KC9UAT · Nicholas Nelson, KD0SLO |
· Brian Reynolds, W0BDR
· Henry Schaper, KA0AWS · Mark Schnitzer, AA6MS · Gary Timm, KD0CNZ
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“This is the fourth year teaching this class and each year we have a great group of eager communicators who are ready to start connecting the dots between what the curriculum covers and their real-world experiences. After a brief panic regarding text book availability, I’d like to thank Saint Francois County EC Rick Myers, KD0THD for the team effort who came to the rescue with three new books he had on hand that I was able to collect for students.”
Amateur Radio operators, or Hams, volunteer to use their personal equipment
and knowledge to benefit the community through public service when disaster may disrupt normal communications. St. Louis Metro ARES works with the City of St. Louis Emergency Management Agency, St. Louis County Police Office of Emergency Management, Central County Emergency 911, the American Red Cross and several other organizations. The course is just one of many training opportunities available to Hams in the St. Louis region.
The EC-001 course covers topics ranging from the organizational structure of ARES and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to how to choose the best communications path for a message. It is offered locally by St. Louis Metro ARES one or two times a year to aid people who learn better in a classroom environment. Participants take home a reference library including basic operations plans and federal forms. The course is also available for self-study through the ARRL at http://www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog. No Amateur Radio license is needed to take the course, and membership in the ARRL is not required.