Amateur Radio Emergency Service Sandusky County
Owen Fritz KD8GSI - Emergency Coordinator
Our mission is to provide emergency communications for our community when directed by the Sandusky County Emergency Management Agency (EMA). We are also proud to serve in many other functions in our county including, but not limited to, weather spotting, outdoor warning siren checks, hospital amateur radio tests, damage assessment, communications for community events, and much more!
Amateur Radio Emergency Service Sandusky County (ARES) consists of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed radio amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for public service communications when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL), or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in ARES Sandusky County. The only qualification is an Amateur Radio license and a sincere desire to serve the community. Emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but not a requirement for membership.
ARES Sandusky County has a letter of understanding with the Sandusky County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to provide back-up communications for the county.
ARES is activated before, during and after an emergency. Generally, ARES handles all emergency messages, including those between government emergency management officials. RACES, on the other hand, almost never starts before an emergency and is active only during the emergency and during the immediate aftermath if government emergency management offices need communications support. RACES is normally shut down shortly after the emergency has cleared.
Ohio Section ARES Districts
District 1 - Lucas, Wood, Hancock, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Erie and Huron.
District 2 - Williams, Defiance, Paulding, Van Wert, Mercer, Fulton, Henry, Putnam, Allen and Auglaize.
District 3 - Darke, Preble, Shelby, Miami, Montgomery, Champaign, Clark and Greene.
District 4 - Butler, Hamilton, Warren, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Brown, Adams.
District 5 - Portage, Summit, Stark, Tuscarawas, Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll.
District 6 - Wyandot, Marion, Crawford, Morrow, Richland, Knox, Ashland, Medina, Wayne and Holmes.
District 7 - Hardin, Logan, Union, Madison, Fayette, Delaware, Franklin, Pickaway, Licking and Fairfield.
District 8 - Ross, Pike, Scioto, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Perry, Athens, Meigs and Gallia.
District 9 - Coshocton, Muskingum, Morgan, Washington, Guernsey, Noble, Harrison, Belmont, Monroe and Jefferson.
District 10 - Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula.
Sandusky County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) provides mitigation, preparedness, repsonse and recovery services that save live, reduce injuries and economic loss, and enhance recovery from disasters.
Amateur Radio Emergency Service Sandusky County (ARES) is an intrigal partner with the EMA and the official backup communictions for Sandusky County.
The Sandusky County EMA provides grant funding, equipment, office space and more for our ARES group.
ARES Community Service
Skywarn is a program created by the National Weather Service whose purpose is, above all, to save lives and property. The idea behind this program is to have NWS-trained weather spotters look for the visible signs of severe weather in their area and report these sightings directly to the local Cleveland National Weather Service or go through our Sandusky County Skywarn Amateur Radio Net.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) educates individuals about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact our area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT volunteers can assist others in our community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
Amateur Radio Emergency Service of Sandusky County "Teams Up" with CERT to provide county-wide communications.
American Red Cross provides shelter, food, health and mental health services to help families and entire communities get back on their feet. Although the Red Cross is not a government agency, it is an essential part of the response when disaster strikes.
Amateur Radio has a national letter of understanding with the American Red Cross to provide communications between shelters and county officials.