The Westchester County H.E.R.R.O. program may assist in reimbursing higher education tuition and student loans.
Learn more about the H.E.R.R.O. program.
We are accepting applications for the 2023 school year
Review Current Classes.
Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication. The term "amateur" is used to specify persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest, and to differentiate it from commercial broadcasting, public safety (such as police and fire), or professional two-way radio services (such as maritime, aviation, taxis, etc.). Amateur radio operation is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and licensed by national governments that regulate the technical and operational characteristics of transmissions and license individual stations with an identifying call sign. In the United States, amateur radio operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Part 97 of its rules.Prospective amateur operators qualify for a license through written examinations that test for their understanding of key concepts in electronics and FCC amateur radio service regulations. Amateurs use a variety of voice, text, image, and data communications modes and have access to frequency allocations throughout the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum to enable communication across a city, region, country, continent, the world, or even into space. An estimated two million people throughout the world are licensed amateur radio operators. In the United States there are over 700,000 licensed hams. All amateur radio operators are volunteers by choice and by law. The FCC rules prohibit compensation of any type for the use of amateur radio frequencies.Amateurs supplement rather than replace existing public safety and commercial communications facilities. They are not professional communicators or emergency first responders, but they do strive to approach their volunteer service with a high level of professionalism. Amateurs generally have the skills and personally-owned radio equipment necessary to provide effective backup or supplemental communications at times when normal public safety and commercial communications systems are busy with mission-critical traffic, are overloaded or are otherwise insufficient for the mission. When well-trained, the typical technically-oriented Amateur Radio Operator can prove to be a useful asset in filling the gaps in normal communications systems and excels at flexibly responding to changing communications conditions and needs. An example of such an application of Amateur communicators is to relay logistical communications traffic in order to keep emergency radio systems available for actual emergency traffic.Because Amateurs have radios that are frequency-agile across the radio spectrum, they are able to establish ad-hoc communications links between officials who may not otherwise have a radio system in common locally and nationally.
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Authorization and Organization
Part 97.1 of the FCC rules state in part:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.Two national programs have been formed to fulfill this requirement. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). These services consist of licensed amateur radio operators who are trained to provide radio communications services to civil and government agencies in times of emergency. Their goal is to help protect life and property during an emergency.Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
RACES is a governmental program that is authorized by Part 97 of the FCC rules. It is endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Any local, county or state government may organize a RACES group. RACES may be activated for emergencies which can include natural, technological or manmade disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, chemical spills, nuclear power plant accidents and acts of war. During all times that amateur stations are operating under RACES rules, they may only communicate with other RACES stations, and only for the purpose of conveying official civil-preparedness emergency communications.RACES is not an organization but rather a set of FCC rules that define when and how Amateurs may provide communications services for state and local government. A RACES group is headed by a volunteer RACES Radio Officer (RO) who is appointed by the served government entity. The RO may appoint a number of Assistant Radio Officers with the approval of the served agency.Amateurs may only act in an official RACES capacity when a RACES activation is declared by the sponsoring government entity. During this time, RACES members are considered unpaid employees of the government and are covered by Workmen's Compensation insurance.
RACES in Westchester County
The Westchester County ARES/RACES Group is organized as a single entity with a unified management structure. The RACES portion of the combined group is authorized by the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services (WCDES). The Radio Officer reports to the Chief of Communications and EMS. A combined response group has the advantage of being able to draw from a common pool of operators and to operate under the rules of either system to take advantage of the strengths of both to fulfill its mission. As examples, RACES is limited by FCC rules to one hour per month of training exercises. Westchester County provides a budget for equipment and facilities for operation and training to the RACES entity.There are approximately 100 active members in the group. The lead person is both the ARES Emergency Coordinator and the RACES Radio Officer with a team of four assistants. This leadership team coordinates the organization and training of volunteer Amateur Radio Operators who have registered their willingness to serve. RACES operators use personally owned radio equipment in fulfilling their duties.
Members are trained to provide diverse radio communications services to the county and other served entities. These include:
Mobile voice and data communications
Vehicle tracking and location systems
Ad hoc voice and data stations at evacuation shelters and reception centers
RACES Training
The greatest opportunity for training Amateurs to operate effectively during an emergency response is provided by the numerous charity events for which Westchester's Amateurs volunteer to provide radio communications. These include annual charitable events and public gatherings such as the Multiple Sclerosis Walk, March of Dimes Walk-America, Mamaroneck Turkey Trot, American Diabetes Association Tour-de-Cure bike ride and events outside the county in which many from Westchester are key players most notably the New York City Triathlon and the New York City Marathon. Radio communications capability for these events is provided by WECA which is long recognized as the premier club in providing communications services thanks to strong support from WCDES.The annual ARRL Field Day event in June is probably the single largest amateur radio exercise in the country. Amateur Radio clubs and individuals across the country practice their emergency preparedness skills in the form of a 24 hour radio contest. The largest such gathering in Westchester is conducted by WECA at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck. With strong support from the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services, and the participation of the Westchester RACES Group, the American Red Cross, the Village of Mamaroneck, and others, the Association deploys and operates multiple radio stations using emergency power under “field” operating conditions continuously for the entire 24 hour period. All expenses are borne by the Association.
RACES Radio Systems
The Westchester RACES Group uses Amateur Radio systems owned, operated and maintained by various clubs in and around Westchester County. The main system is located at the Westchester County Grasslands tower site. As required by Part 97 of the FCC rules, the system must be licensed to an Amateur Radio entity. WECA is the licensee, operating five voice repeater systems and an extensive data communications network using a mixture of County-owned and WECA-owned equipment including remote receivers, repeaters, and backup equipment. Sub-systems are located at various county and private sites and were purchased with funds raised by WECA through member dues, Association events, and private grants. All system integration, maintenance and management are performed, on a volunteer basis, by members of the WECA Engineering Team. Like WECA, NWARA and YARC make their repeater systems available to Westchester RACES at no cost. The Westchester RACES Group operates the Amateur Radio station located in the Westchester County Emergency Operations Center in Hawthorne. Operators handle voice and data communications to and from the Health Department’s Field Monitoring Teams as well as communications with RACES groups in other Counties.These services could not be adequately performed by the RACES systems without the fraternal structure inherent to a club. Clubs are a necessary adjunct to the ARES and RACES programs. They serve as support mechanisms providing both equipment and trained operators. In addition, clubs offer a wide range of activities and services to the amateur radio community, attracting hams and encouraging them to give their talents to public service and emergency communications.
What Do Amateur Radio Operators Do in Emergencies?
Depending on the nature of the emergency, hams volunteer to perform a number of functions:
• They "shadow" government and agency officials. Shadows ride along in officials' vehicles, follow them on foot and keep them in touch, typically via VHF/UHF repeater systems.
• They set up and operate base stations at shelters, command posts, emergency operations centers, agency headquarters, hospitals, and the like, providing communications among the various agencies and their officials out in the field (who are being shadowed by a ham).
• They operate in local, regional, and national radio message systems (known as the National Traffic System) which move information in the form of "radiograms" into and out of disaster areas.
• They use voice, data and image communications to deliver information about victims, supplies, etc. accurately by radio;
• They use Amateur TV to provide live video imagery to aid in damage assessment and recovery.
How Does an Organization or Agency Request ARES/RACES Services?
For governmental agencies, RACES is activated by contacting:
Michael Volk, W2MKV
Chief of Communications
Westchester County Department of Emergency Services
914-231-1684
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For civil agencies, charities etc., ARES is activated by contacting:
Tom Raffaelli, WB2NHC
RACES Radio Officer
ARES Emergency Coordinator
914-490-1459
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The U. S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) guidebook has long-served as a vital tool in saving lives and guiding initial protective actions decisions in response to hazardous materials release. The ERGs are often regarded as a main stay in glove compartment of each and every state and local emergency response vehicle, and they have traditionally served as an essential guide in the first minutes of an incident.
Access additional resources and information published by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). PHMSA resources include a downloadable English and Spanish pdf copies of ERG2016 as well as free Mobile Applications.
First responder agencies located in Westchester County, New York, may contact the Department of Emergency Services for hard copies of the 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook by sneidng anb e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The information in tes guide should be used by trained professionals who best understand the technical information it contains and who know how best to assess hazardous and perilous situations. View the complete 2016 Emergency Response Guide.
The Burn Simulator Building is a state-of-the-art propane live fire simulator. This unique building is designed to expose firefighters to realistic fire and smoke conditions under a computer-controlled environment.
Six separate burners allow for fires to be generated at multiple locations either separately, together, or in sequence. The first floor features a living room fire, kitchen fire, and a car fire prop in the garage. On the second floor is a bedroom fire with fires starting either on or behind the bed. A chimney fire and a special ceiling rollover feature are also located in the bedroom.
All fires are fed by propane gas, computer-controlled, and operated by trained instructors. Multiple independent smoke generators can also be operated by the instructors for an added dimension of a smoke-filled environment.
Multiple safety features are built into the system to protect the firefighters. Heat sensors, gas detectors, and emergency stop buttons are located throughout the building. If any of the safety features are activated the fires immediately shut down, fans are turned on and all smoke is quickly evacuated.
Be sure to fully read the updated task-oriented air consumption evolution procedures before watching the video.
Station #1 – Stair Climb
Using tower stairs participants will climb to the top of the third set of stairs and return back to the entry door while carrying a 50-foot section of 2½" hose
packed into a dual-stack shoulder load approximately three feet in length.
Equipment Needs: Two 50-foot sections of 2½" hose and duct tape to secure the hose
Station #2a‐ Hose stretch
The participants will drag a 50-foot section of 13/4" hose and "sled" to a cone 35 feet away and return it to the starting point. The "sled" contains the remaining 35 feet of hose and an additional 30 pounds of weight in a reinforced milk crate. The participant will place the attached nozzle and 8 feet of the hose over their shoulder and across their chest to drag the sled the required distance. They will then proceed directly to Station 2b without a recovery lap around the cones.
Equipment Needs: One 50-foot section of 1¾" hose, automatic fog nozzle, milk crate, 30 pounds of weight, two cones, and method to secure the hose to the milk crate.
Station #2b – Hose pull
The participant will go down on at least one knee and pull the 1¾" hose until the coupling returns to them. The 1¾" hose will be connected to itself and looped around the base of the hydrant. The coupling will be placed at the furthest distance away from the hydrant.
Equipment Needs: One 50-foot section of 1¾" hose and secured fire hydrant or bollard with room for the hose coupling to clear as it passes around.
Station #3 – Saw Carry
The participant approaches the simulated apparatus cabinet and removes each saw from the cabinet and places it on the ground. The participant then carries both saws and walks 75 feet to a marked cone and returns to the simulated cabinet. The participant then returns each of the saws to the cabinet one at a time.
Equipment Needs: One rotary/ rescue saw (preferred 30 pounds, +or– 3 pounds), fire chain vent saw (preferred 28 pounds, +or– 3 pounds), simulated apparatus cabinet with shelf four feet from the ground, one cone located 75 feet from the cabinet. (Two five-gallon buckets with reinforced handles may simulate the saws if they can be weighted to approximately 28 pounds each.)
Station #4 – Ladder raise
Participant approaches the secured 24-foot extension ladder (secured to the simulated window at the end of the floor collapse simulator) and hoists the fly of the ladder all the way up using a hand over hand method without stopping and returns it to the ground in a controlled manner without allowing it to drop.
Equipment Needs: One 24-foot fire service extension ladder, brackets to secure the ladder to the wall that would allow the fly section to be extended completely out using the halyard.
Station #5 – Forcible Entry
Participants will approach the table with mounted and inflated tire and strike the tire with a ten-pound sledgehammer 10 times.
Equipment Needs: a reinforced table, mounted and inflated truck tire, ten-pound sledgehammer. (The truck tire should be deflated some to reduce the recoil of the sledgehammer. The truck tire should be positioned so that it does not move off of the table as shown in the embedded video.)
Station #6 – Search
Participants will approach the first floor of the SCBA Maze and follow a right or left-hand search pattern preceding 64 feet through a darkened search area with obstacles that do not require any profile reducing maneuvers to pass while wearing an SCBA and PPE.
Equipment Needs: simple pattern arranged on the first floor of the SCBA maze with some obstacles. The area needs to be darkened. (Place two SCBA confidence tunnels together, without any obstacles, to create one long tunnel and create a 90-degree turn at the end into another search area. The two tunnels should be covered to create a completely dark environment.)
Station #7 – Rescue
Participant approaches the 165-pound mannequin and drags it 33 feet around a cone and returns it to the starting point.
Equipment Needs: 165-pound mannequin, one cone to mark the 35-foot distance
Station #8 – Ceiling push/ pull
Participants will approach the ceiling breach simulator and complete two sets of three repetitions of pushing the ceiling plate up and five repetitions of pulling the hook down using a six-foot pike pole.
Equipment Needs: Ceiling breech simulator, six-foot pike pole without a handle. (Ceiling push-up plate is 60 pounds and the pulldown mechanism is 80 pounds.)
When the participants complete all eight stations, they proceed to station #1 and continue working the course until they run nearly out of air. When they completely expend all of the air in their cylinder, the evolution ends for them.
Each participant's escort will document the time and air pressure readings and return the document to the Participant for review. Once the participant reviews the document they will give it to the lead instructor. The student must complete all eight stations on a 30-minute cylinder (1200 liters) to pass the evolution.
The Westchester Medical Reserve Corps is actively seeking new members willing to contribute their time and talents to help in an emergency. Westchester Medical Reserve Corps members work with county public health and emergency services professionals to support the needs of Westchester County residents during public health emergencies and other disasters.
To be activated in an emergency, MRC members must register in advance and participate in training, and set up other activities to prepare volunteers for emergency response.
The Westchester MRC is a group of volunteers – some are credentialed physicians, nurses, or allied professionals – working, retired, or in training – while others have an organizational, office, or translation skills.
Who volunteers for the Westchester County MRC?
Our members are people who live, work, or attend graduate school in Westchester County. No medical background is needed to volunteer with the Westchester County MRC. We welcome medical and allied professionals and people with other backgrounds who are calm under pressure and who enjoy giving back to their community.
Volunteers include:
How can I Join?
To sign up, all volunteers are vetted first through ServNY, a New York State database that registers new volunteers verifies medical credentials, and manages volunteer data.
Registration is a three-step process:
1) Set up a user ID and password in my.ny.gov a state website that offers access to many services.
2) Set-up a user ID and password in ServNY and create a profile
3) Complete and submit the Westchester County MRC Forms
How can I help?
Volunteers may help improve the flow of people at central locations in Westchester where medication or vaccinations would be provided during a disease outbreak. They may provide support of local shelter and mass care operations upon request during a natural disaster including assistance with pets and service animals. Westchester MRC members who are credentialed medical professionals could be called upon to perform medical evaluations, provide vaccinations, distribute medication, educate or screen patients, or provide psychological first aid. Non-medical members may improve the flow of people, process paperwork and online forms, translate instructions, or provide directions to the public and provide assistance to people with access or functional needs.
How will I be trained?
Free training will be offered by Westchester County. Some training can be conducted online at your convenience, while other training topics will be covered in person with other MRC members. Quarterly meetings or training will be held. Topics include Psychological First Aid, Mass Casualty Incident Awareness, Treatment and Triage, Mental Health in Emergencies, and much more.
To prepare for emergencies, Westchester MRC members can join public health and emergency professionals in exercises and drills and may be called upon to assist in non-emergency activities. While flexibility and commitment are highly valued, we recognize that MRC members are volunteers with other commitments, and their participation during any event is always voluntary. The Westchester MRC is managed jointly by the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services (DES) and the Westchester County Department of Health (WCDH).
Questions?
Should you have any questions or need additional information, send an e-mail toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(Note: Please enclose your name, e-mail address, and phone number in the body of the message)