Thank you for your interest in training in the Ohio ARES County Information Report Project 20, the training leading up to the annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET).

I am C. Matthew Curtin, KD8TTE, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for the Ohio Section of the American Radio Relay League, and Trustee of the Radio Relay International station W6RRI. I am leading this effort to improve the capability of ARES throughout the Ohio Section and to align the operations of the message relay system now tasked with supporting ARES, and to ensure that agencies serving the public in time of emergency have a reliable and highly resilient means of communication. I am doing all of this while wearing my "volunteer hat" because in an emergency, I will be called to service and need to know that I can rely on the operators in Ohio's amateur radio community to provide communications service.

When MARCS radio, public switched telephone network, and Internet service are impacted, medium and long distance communication will need the power of HF, a system of stations, and techniques including message relay. This is an opportunity for amateur radio to demonstrate its viability.

I have accepted the responsibility to run this Project leading up to the SET and to lead the training necessary to be ready to accomplish the fundamental tasks of radio messaging.

Whether you're already participating or are interested in participating, I want to train with you. Whether your county is participating or not, you individually can help. What matters here are two things: (1) Your attitude must be to learn, and (2) You must be willing to put forth the effort to apply what you've learned so that you're practiced.

What I pledge to you is that I will show you the way, that I will answer your questions, and help you to be effective. I can't do the exercise for you, but I can show you how to do it properly and how to do it sustainably. I will challenge you because without challenge you will not learn. I will not challenge you just for its own sake, however: the challenge will always be to push you to a higher level of ability to achieve the emergency communications mission.

Training is going to be in a variety of forms: some video, some videoconference, some on-air activity. It will be closely aligned with the County Information Report Project 20 objectives.

If you're looking to train with me and others dedicated to making amateur radio a viable emergency communications resource, complete the form below to get started. I'm looking forward to training with, teaching, and learning from you.