Indiana ARES & Emergency Communications

When phones, internet, and power go down, amateur radio operators keep information moving. Hams provide backup communications for served agencies such as emergency management, the National Weather Service, the Red Cross, and hospitals, passing health-and-welfare traffic, relaying spotter reports, and linking shelters and command posts. Because hams own their own equipment and can operate off-grid, they are often the communications resource that works when nothing else does. Below is how emergency communications are organized in Indiana and how you can get involved.

The Programs

ARES — Amateur Radio Emergency Service

ARES is an ARRL program of licensed amateurs who volunteer their skills and equipment to support public-service and emergency communications. It is the backbone of organized ham emergency response in Indiana.

• ARRL ARES — national program page (arrl.org/ares)
• ARRL Public Service
• ARES online reporting system — (the older ARES Connect system was retired)

RACES — Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

RACES is a program administered by local, county, and state emergency management agencies in which amateurs are formally enrolled to provide communications during civil emergencies. Many operators serve in both ARES and RACES. In Indiana, RACES is coordinated through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and county emergency management agencies.

• Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS)
• IDHS Emergency Management & Preparedness

Skywarn — NWS Storm Spotting

Skywarn is the National Weather Service program of trained volunteer storm spotters who report severe weather as it happens. Many spotters are hams who relay ground-truth observations back to the NWS by radio during severe weather.

• NWS SKYWARN program (weather.gov/skywarn)
• SKYWARN Spotter's Field Guide — spotter training reference (your local NWS office lists class dates)

Indiana ARES

Indiana ARES operates under the ARRL Indiana Section and is organized into districts that align with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) districts. Each district and county has its own leadership and local nets. For the official program information, district structure, and the HF section net schedule, see the Indiana Section EmComm resources:

• Indiana Section EmComm page
• Indiana ARES District Map
• What is ARES?

District Emergency Coordinators and county Emergency Coordinators change over time, so check the official Indiana Section pages above for current leadership and contact information.

Skywarn in Indiana

Indiana is covered by several National Weather Service forecast offices, depending on your location. During severe weather, hams check into Skywarn nets and relay spotter reports — hail size, wind damage, flooding, and tornadoes — to net control, who passes them on to the NWS. Find the office that serves your county and look for its Skywarn training schedule:

• NWS Indianapolis (IND) — central Indiana
• NWS Northern Indiana (Syracuse, IWX) — northern Indiana
• NWS Louisville (LMK) — south-central Indiana
• NWS Paducah (PAH) — southwestern Indiana
• NWS Wilmington, OH (ILN) — southeastern Indiana

Digital EmComm — Winlink

When voice circuits are congested or conditions are poor, hams move formatted messages, forms, and email-style traffic by radio using Winlink, a worldwide network of amateur and government stations that carries radio email over HF, VHF, and UHF paths even when the internet is down. Winlink is a core tool for ARES, AUXCOMM, and served-agency message handling. See our digital modes guide for how Winlink and other modes fit together.

Federal & Auxiliary Communications Programs

• AUXCOMM (Auxiliary Communications) — CISA/SAFECOM framework for amateurs supporting public-safety communications units.
• SHARES (Shared Resources HF Radio Program) — federal HF interoperability program.

Training

Formal training makes you more useful to served agencies and is often required before you can deploy. Start with the free ARRL EmComm courses and the FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) Independent Study courses:

• ARRL Emergency Communications Training (including EC-001, Introduction to Emergency Communication)
• ARRL Online Course Catalog
• FEMA Emergency Management Institute — Independent Study (IS) courses
• FEMA IS-100.c — Introduction to the Incident Command System
• FEMA IS-700.b — Introduction to the National Incident Management System

Public Assistance & Resources

• Indiana 2-1-1 — statewide health and human services information line.
• IDHS Emergency Management & Preparedness — county EMA contacts and statewide lookup.

Related Pages on This Site

• Indiana nets — ARES, Skywarn, and traffic nets to check into.
• Repeaters — linked systems used for emergency nets.
• Clubs directory — find your local emcomm group.
• Digital modes — Winlink and other digital traffic-handling tools.

How to Get Involved

• Get licensed — see our getting on the air guide.
• Join a local club — browse the clubs directory.
• Check into local and section nets to practice operating and meet your local emcomm group.
• Take the free ARRL EC-001 (Introduction to Emergency Communication) course and attend an NWS Skywarn spotter training class.
• Contact your county Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to learn how volunteers support your community.