Los Angeles ARES Training Sessions

LA ARES periodically offers training sessions for all classes of amateur license. Check back here for class schedules as they become available.

FEMA Certification

The FEMA Independent Study Program offers a variety of online courses on emergency planning and operations. Of particlar importance to ARES members is the series of four National Incident Management System (NIMS) courses, listed below. Some organizations may require completion of one or more of these courses before allowing an individual to assist in a disaster. (The Los Angeles Disaster Communications Service (DCS) has mandated that its members complete all four courses.) In any event, they are valuable and interesting in their own right and every ARES member is encouraged to take them.

FEMA COURSE IS-100.b
Introduction to the Incident Command System

FEMA COURSE IS-200.b
ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

FEMA COURSE IS-700
National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction

FEMA COURSE IS-800
National Response Framework, An Introduction

These courses are offered by FEMA's Emergency Management Institute Independent Study Program, which also offers a number of other relevant courses. Check out their complete course listing here or try their FAQ page if you have further questions. All of the Independent Study courses are free of charge.

ARRL Emergency Operations Courses

Among the League's many courses on electronics and ham operations, ARRL offers a specialized online course in Emergency Communications, ARRL EC-001 Level 1.

For information about ARRL online courses, check their Course Catalog.