Clallam County ARES Membership Information

Information on Participating in Clallam County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

For an overview of what ARES is, see the ARRL web site: Amateur Radio in Emergency Communications Overview. In Clallam County, there are three levels of involvement when you decide to join ARES. Each of the levels have different requirements; you can read about these levels in ARES Information Cover Letter below.
To join Clallam County ARES, follow these steps in the ARES application packet:

Read the ARES Information Cover Letter
Read the National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance letter
Read the FEMA Training Requirements
Read the National Incident Management System Training Guidelines
Read the Amateur Radio in Emergency Communications
Fill out the CCARES Registration Form and mail it to the address in the Cover Letter above

Retain copies of these forms for your records

To participate as a full active member, there are a number of training requirements, as listed in the above documents. This is requirement of the Clallam County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), as you will become an Emergency Worker in the Clallam County Emergency Management organization, under the auspices of the Sheriff's Volunteer Program.

To begin the Emergency Worker application process, you will need to fill out some forms.

Start your volunteer process at the Clallam County Sheriff's Office website:
Volunteer Opportunities

On this website, download and Read all sections of the
Volunteer Handbook.
Print out pages 19-20 to review, sign and turn in
On this website also download, print, read, and fill out a copy of the
Volunteer Application, which also contains the
Volunteer Orientation Guide
Fill out and turn in an Emergency Responder ID Card Form
Fill out and turn in an Emergency Worker Training Record
Print two copies of and sign one to turn in of the
WAC 118-04-200: Personal responsibilities of emergency workers

Retain copies of these forms for your records

As part of the background process, you will bring your completed volunteer application packet to the Clallam County Sheriff's Office at 223 E. 4th Street, Suite 12, Port Angeles, WA. Turn in your application packet to the Sheriff's Office front counter staff (between 8am – 4:30pm Monday – Friday), who will process your application and take your fingerprints. Once your application is submitted to the Sheriff’s Office, you can expect a response from the Administrative Manager within 30 days regarding the acceptance of your application.

If you have submitted an ARES Membership application and wish to talk to someone about the status of your application, contact the New Member Coordinator listed on our ARES Contacts page.

To complete the circle, at some point in time you may wish to resign from Clallam County ARES.
Please read the ARES Resignation and Reinstatement Policy.

Information on ARES Training Requirements

As a full participant in CCARES, you will be required to take training on the Incident Command System (ICS.) To get you started, here are two documents relating to the ICS: First, the ICS overview, and second, the ICS Pocket Reference Guide.

The training is available through the FEMA Independent Study website. The minimum set of courses you will need to complete to be classified as a "Qualified" ARES member are listed below:

ICS-100: Introduction to Incident Command System
ICS 200: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
ICS-700: National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
ICS 800: National Response Framework, An Introduction

ARES Members please note: If you wish to determine if you are "Qualified" and what training you are credited with, contact either the ARES Membership Administrator or the ARES EC - both are listed on our ARES Contacts page. Also, you MUST notify the ARES Membership Administrator whenever you complete a training class, and you must include a copy of your training certificate in your email correspondence. If you need copies of your training certificates, you may request a transcript by filling out this form.

Questions?

First read this document: The Application Process Described

If you still have questions or want to request additional information regarding CCARES, contact the New Member Coordinator listed on our ARES Contacts page. Questions about filling out the forms may be directed to the New Member Coordinator or the contacts on the Clallam County Emergency Management web site.

Reporting ARES Volunteer Hours

As a full participant in CCARES, you will be required to report your volunteer hours of service. This is extremely important, as the Clallam County Emergency Management team uses this information for numerous purposes, one of which is to apply for gran money. Please read this document from the Sheriff that details the reasons that we need tp report hours.

Volunteer hours are reported on the Volunteer Integrated Management System - VIMS website. Note this is a newer website, easier to use. See the links in our menu on the left.

As you all know, "the job isn't finished until the paperwork is done," so let's all be sure to fully participate and report our hours. The hours that are reported enable the CCSO obtain grants & funding.

Page Updated: 12/11/24