Sevier County Utah ARES
SCUARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Amateur Radio Emergency Service

Sevier County Utah ARES - SCUARES

Volunteer amateur radio operators serving Sevier County and its communities with trained, reliable emergency communications when normal systems are overloaded, damaged, or simply unavailable.

Join / Update Your Info -> Net schedule and repeaters

Serving Sevier County, Utah including Richfield, Salina, Monroe, Central Valley, and surrounding communities.

About SCUARES

The Sevier County Utah Amateur Radio Emergency Service (SCUARES) is a local ARES organization of licensed amateur radio operators who train and prepare to support public safety and community response agencies.

Who we are

Our mission

SCUARES exists to provide backup and auxiliary communications for Sevier County and its communities whenever normal systems are overloaded, damaged, or unavailable. We organize trained volunteers, equipment, and procedures so we can respond quickly and effectively.

We support local emergency management, public safety, hospitals, shelters, and community events when requested, following ARRL ARES guidelines and local protocols.

  • Establish and maintain local emergency communications nets
  • Train operators in ICS, message handling, and field deployment
  • Coordinate with Sevier County Emergency Management and partners
Volunteer driven Served agencies Interoperability

Normal Level 0

Routine training, nets, and exercises. Members monitor primary repeaters and maintain readiness. No deployment expected.

Standby Level 1

Possible incident or severe weather. Go kits checked, availability confirmed, operators monitor designated frequencies.

Activated Level 2-3

Formal request for support. SCUARES nets activated, assignments made, operations may be at EOC, shelters, hospitals, or in the field.

Get involved

If you have (or want) an amateur radio license and a desire to serve your community, there is a place for you in SCUARES.

Start here
1

Get licensed (or upgrade)

A current FCC amateur radio license is required for ARES membership. Technician class is a great place to start; upgrades are encouraged.

Need help? Check local testing and training opportunities with the Sevier County Amateur Radio Club.
2

Enroll in ARES

Register with Utah ARES and provide your contact info, equipment capabilities, and availability so leadership can assign you appropriately.

Include Sevier County as your primary county and note any special skills such as digital, HF, mesh, medical, and more.
3

Build your go kit

Assemble a personal go kit with radio gear, power, antenna options, and personal supplies so you can deploy quickly and safely when requested.

Think "self sufficient for 24-72 hours" radios, power, food, water, weather appropriate clothing, and basic tools.
4

Train and participate

Check into nets regularly, attend exercises and training, and keep your skills sharp. The time to learn is before the emergency.

See the Nets, Training, and Resources sections below for current opportunities.

Nets and Activation

Regular nets keep our operators and equipment ready. Activation levels describe how we respond when our help is requested.

On-air activity

Level 0 - Normal Routine

Training and nets only. Members monitor primary repeaters and maintain readiness. No deployment expected.

Level 1 - Standby Heads up

Possible incident or severe weather. Keep radios close, go kit ready, and availability known. Follow instructions from EC or leadership.

Level 2 - Partial Activation Targeted

Limited deployment to specific locations such as EOC, shelters, hospitals, or field points. Net control assigns operators and shifts.

Level 3 - Full Activation All hands

County wide or extended incident. Multiple locations staffed, nets running, written traffic passed, and shifts managed until demobilization.

Net Day / Time Frequency Notes
Sevier County ARES Net Tuesdays @ 19:00 local 146.640 / 100 Primary training net Area ARES net; all licensed operators welcome
Sevier County Sheriffs Net 3rd Wednesday @ 15:00 local 146.640 / 100 Open to all licensed operators
Sevier Amateur Radio Club Net Wednesdays @ 19:30 local 146.640 / 100 Open to all licensed operators
Monroe Utah Stake Emergency Preparedness Net Wednesdays @ 20:15 local 146.640 / 100 Open to all licensed operators
Important: Verify current frequencies, tones, and times with SCUARES leadership or the Sevier ARC before programming your radio.

Training and expectations

ARES is more than owning a radio. SCUARES members commit to ongoing training so we can be safe, useful, and easy to work with.

Skills and courses

Core skills

  • Net operations directed nets, clear concise transmissions, proper check in and check out, and working with Net Control.
  • Message handling accurate, complete, and legible traffic; ICS-213 and other standard forms; written logs.
  • Field deployment portable antennas, emergency power, simple shelters, personal safety, and shift work.
  • Interoperability working smoothly with served agencies, understanding their priorities, and staying within our role.

Good operators are calm, clear, and predictable. We train to be the easiest part of the incident, not another problem to solve.

Recommended courses

These are common expectations for active ARES members. Check with SCUARES leadership for local requirements:

  • FEMA IS-100 and IS-700 basic ICS and NIMS understanding.
  • Additional ICS (IS-200, IS-800) for operators likely to work at the EOC or with incident command.
  • ARRL and ARES training task book, ARES plan, and local or section level exercises.
  • Digital modes and Winlink familiarization if supporting message traffic and forms electronically.

Keep copies of certificates and training records. They help leadership place you where your skills are most useful.

Local and ARES resources

Key links for staying informed, getting trained, and understanding how ARES fits into Sevier County emergency communications.

Links and documents

Contact and leadership

Use this information to reach the SCUARES Emergency Coordinator or to update your ARES registration with new capabilities or contact details.

Stay connected

Leadership contacts

Update this section with current EC and AEC information and any official county liaison contacts.

Emergency Coordinator
Doug Preston / K7VVW ( k7vvw at dlld dot org / 818-644-0256)
Assistant EC(s)
Names / Callsigns (areas / roles)
Primary repeater
146.640 / -600 / 100
Mailing list / group
[Email list, Facebook group, groups.io, etc.]

For emergencies, always use 911 and official channels first. ARES activation is normally requested through Sevier County Emergency Management or other served agencies.

Member info and interest form

This form sends your info to SCUARES leadership and stores it in a secure log for follow up.

Bands, modes, power, portable or mobile options (for example 2m/70cm HT, 50 W mobile, Winlink, HF)
When you are typically available and any constraints or training you would be interested in.

By submitting, you agree that SCUARES may contact you about ARES activities in Sevier County.