Public service communication has been a traditional responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service since 1913. In today's Amateur Radio, disaster work is a highly organized and worthwhile part of day-to-day operation, implemented principally through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS), both sponsored by ARRL. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), independent nets and other amateur public service groups are also a part of ARRL-recognized Amateur Radio public service efforts.

ARRL has several publications that can help you in your public-service activities. Find out about them in the Public Service section of the ARRL Publications Catalog.

Badges

Official ARRL Badges can be ordered for Division appointees, Section appointees, QSL Bureau Managers/Workers, Technical Advisors, Volunteer Counsels, Volunteer Consulting Engineers, Volunteer Examiners, ARRL Monitoring System appointees, Awards Managers, DXCC Field Reps, Educational Advisors, Registered Instructors and Life Members.

Awards

Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award
ARRL International Humanitarian Award

Resources

Forms

A number of FSD forms are available:

• Leadership Officials Requisition Form
• FSD-3 (ARRL Numbered Radiograms)
• FSD-98 (ARES Registration Form)
• FSD-157 (Public Service Activity Report)
• FSD-187 (Application for Station Appointment)
• FSD-218 (Amateur Message Form)
• FSD-220 (Handy Operating Aid)
• FSD-255 (Emergency Reference Information Card)
• SET Guidelines
• Form A: EC SET Report
• Form B: NM SET Report
• Form C: EC Annual Report
• ARRL Radiogram Form
• Red Cross 2079-I

Public Service Communications Manual

The ARRL Public Service Communications Manual (PSCM) serves as an overall source of basic information on the League's public service communications program. Comprising 61 pages in its printed (PDF) form, the PSCM is available via ARRLWeb in two formats:

• the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) Public Service Communications Manual serves as your online Web reference on Amateur Radio public service
• The Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Public Service Communications Manual (603,178 bytes, available via HTTP and FTP [ftp://ftp.arrl.org/pub/field/pscm.pdf]), allows you to print camera-ready-quality local copies of the PSCM. To view and print pscm.pdf, you'll need version 2.1 or higher of Adobe Systems Inc's free Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer. (If you've already configured your browser to use Adobe Acrobat as a viewer and just want to save pscm.pdf to disk locally instead of spawning the viewer, pressing Shift as you click on the HTTP or FTP PSCM hyperlink will give you that option in Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer and NCSA Mosaic.)

National Traffic System Methods and Practices Guidelines

Please scroll down this page a bit further to find the link to this on-line ARRL publication.  This on-line publication is now together with other National Traffic System Resources.

Special Events Communications Manual

Hams are, of course, well known for their communications support of relief agencies in disaster and post-disaster situations. They also provide a plethora of communication services on a "preventive medicine" basis to the public during special events and put on Amateur Radio demonstrations and displays, beneficial to Amateur Radio's public image.

The purpose of this manual is to give you some tips, and suggestions to assist you in planning your special-event communications efforts. Hopefully, it will help you provide dependable and effective Amateur Radio communications for the public, and win some important brownie points for Amateur Radio in your community.

The ARES Field Resources Manual

The ARES Field Resources Manual is a quick trainer and field resource guide for the emergency communicator. It's available here as a Adobe Portable Document Format file: aresman.pdf (439,361 bytes). You'll need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader to view and print the manual.

Other Resources

• ARRL Net Directory ARES Brochure

National Traffic System Resources

2009 National Traffic System Net Reports – An Excel file showing monthly available NTS Area and Region Net and Transcontinental Corps statistics as reported by NTS officials.   Please send monthly reports, updates or corrections to Steve Ewald, WV1X, at sewald@arrl.org

Brass Pounders League – Showing the detailed breakdown of the Amateur Radio operators who have qualified for Brass Pounders League on a monthly basis. Also, please look for the monthly Field Organization Reports in QST where the Brass Pounders League qualifiers are mentioned along with the list of radio amateurs who have qualilfied for Public Service Honor Roll.

ARRL National Traffic System Area Staff Chairs

Marcia Forde, KW1U, Chair of the NTS Eastern Area Staff
kw1u@arrl.net

Robert Griffin, K6YR, Chair of the NTS Pacific Area Staff
k6yr@arrl.org

National Traffic System—An Introduction (611Kb, PPT file)
This PowerPoint presentation provides an introduction to the National Traffic System (NTS) including an introduction to National Traffic System Digital (NTSD).    Thanks to Greg Szpunar, N2GS (ARRL Official Relay Station and and NTS Digital Relay Station) and Dave Struebel, WB2FTX (ARRL Section Traffic Manager of Northern New Jersey and NTS Eastern Area Digital Coordinator).

National Traffic System Common Texts for Messages
Thanks to the Montana Traffic Net for compiling this reference guide.  This list is organized by the call sign of the message’s originator.

Public Service Communications Manual

Section II: The National Traffic System (NTS)

The NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines (NTS MPG), is attached to the ARRL Public Service Communications Manual (PSCM) as Appendix B, and is the working reference manual on Traffic Net and Message Handling Procedures in the NTS. It shall be the uniform reference standard for STMs, Section/Local NMs and Area Staff members.

“An Instructors Guide to Training Traffic Handlers” By Mark W. Rappaport, W2EAG
This guide is written for the volunteers who are willing to train Amateur Radio operators about traffic handling.  These volunteer instructors know that the end result of training is the answer to bringing new traffic handlers to the Nets.

Several forms related to traffic handling and the National Traffic System can be found at their respective links.   ARRL Radiogram;   FSD-3: ARRL Numbered Radiograms;  FSD-218: Amateur Message Form with QN and Q Signals;  FSD-125: NTS Monthly Report (local or section level);  FSD-89: NTS Area and Region Net Report

Radiogram in pdf format.
Thanks to Dave Evelove, N7YSS, Net Manager of the Northwest Oregon Traffic and Training Net, for supplying a pdf version of the radiogram form. A list of the ARRL Numbered Radiograms and the Handling Instructions are also a part of the one-page pdf file.

Other Public Service References

• NOAA Public Alert Radio Program for Schools
• Portable Tower
• ARES® Groups and Use of Registered Trademarks (19,183 bytes, PDF file)
• Emergency Communications Declarations in the Amateur Radio Service
• Fire Shelters Weaken Transmissions from Hand Held Radios (210,239 bytes, PDF file)
  This article, by Ted Etter, appeared in the December 2003 issue of "Fire Tech Tips," and is posted with permission from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
• The ARRL Technical Information Service has plenty of information on the ARRL Web that's applicable to all phases of Amateur Radio including emergency and public-service communication issues and emergency stations. For example:
• The Lightning Protection page contains links to the four-part 1986 QST article series on "Electromagnetic Pulse and the Radio Amateur," and information on lightning protection.
• The Emergency/Alternative Power page has links to resources and articles related to emergency and alternative power.
• Emergency Applications of Winlink 2000
  Read about Winlink 2000 and the emergency/public service communications applications that it offers.
• Details on the Public Service Honor Roll.
• "9/11/01: This is Not a Test." - This article reports on how Amateur Radio operators responded to the tragedies of September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
• Understanding Wireless Communications in Public Safety Guidebook Now Available
• Public Service Don'ts and Do's.