About McHenry County

RACES & ARES

Primary purpose of our volunteer group is provide emergency communications support for our served agencies. Our RACES members support McHenry County EMA, as our primary served agency and our ARES members provide communication support for public agencies and community events.

RACES: Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

RACES is an organization of amateur radio operators who volunteer to provide radio communications for State and local governments in times of emergency. Created in 1952 primarily to serve in civil defense emergencies, RACES is now a special part of the amateur operation endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and it may be used in a wide variety of situations where normal communication systems have sustained damage.

 

ARES: Amateur Radio Emergency Service

ARES is sponsored by the ARRL. Members volunteer to assist public service agencies during emergencies and public service events. Any licensed Amateur Radio operator is eligible, membership in the ARRL is not required.

In McHenry County, large number of our RACES members are also ARES members. This enables us to provide better support to our community in everyday events and activities as well as in case of true emergency.