Volunteer radio communicators supporting Essex County’s responders and community partners
Essex County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a volunteer communications unit of federally licensed Amateur Radio operators who support government and non-governmental partners before, during, and after emergencies. We train year-round and can establish reliable voice and data radio links when regular systems are overloaded, disrupted, or otherwise unavailable. We also provide reliable communications and an extra layer of safety at community events.
Essex County, NJ
22 municipalities Status
Volunteer
Mission-driven public service Contact
Stan Rogacki, K2EXX
County EC / RACES Coordinator
What we can provide
- Communication platform diverse of traditional networks (cellular/5G, internet, NJICS, county-wide P25 trunked, etc.)
- Staffing for EOCs, shelters, hospitals, field sites, and community events
- Communications for 5K/10K/half/marathon runs, cycling events, large community gatherings
- County-wide communication nets and directed traffic handling
- Field-expedient antennas and portable stations
- Voice and message traffic, including partner-preferred forms (e.g., ICS-213) via radio or radio-email
ARES augments—not replaces—public safety communications, and operates under partner direction.
About ARES
Mission & partners
ARES is a program of ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio®. Our volunteers support government agencies (local, county, state, tribal, federal) and non-governmental organizations such as relief/humanitarian groups. We prepare in advance through planning, training, exercises, and regular nets so we’re ready when asked to assist.
How we fit into emergency management
ARES follows the Incident Command System (ICS) and works within each agency’s procedures. When activated, operators report through the ARES leadership and the requesting agency’s chain of command. We can interface with the National Traffic System (NTS) and use radio-email (e.g., Winlink) when appropriate to deliver and track partner messages.
Capabilities
Operational modalities
Multi-band voice and data using VHF/UHF/HF; repeaters and accepted simplex channels; portable and fixed stations; point-to-point and net operations.
Where we serve
Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), shelters and reception centers, public health clinics, hospitals, mobile command posts, damage-assessment teams, and public service events.
Typical use cases
| Scenario | Objective | ARES role |
|---|---|---|
| Communication outages or overload | Preserve life-safety and situational awareness | Establish radio nets, relay ICS-213/214/309 information, staff EOCs |
| Severe weather & flooding | Augment field reports and resource tracking | Provide field teams and control stations; relay requests; radio-email as needed |
| Shelter operations | Support logistics and welfare messaging | Set up local links and liaison to county/state nets |
| Public service events | Practice ICS and net procedures with partners | Staff checkpoints; after-action improvements |
Activation & requests
How to request ARES support
What to expect during activation
- Assignment of an ARES point of contact (POC) and, if needed, an on-scene Communications Unit function.
- Integration with your ICS organization and compliance with your policies.
- Operators equipped for self-sufficient field work when required.
- Message handling using partner-preferred forms and radio-email where appropriate.
- Participation in after-action reviews to drive continuous improvement.
Volunteer & training
Who can join
Any FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operator with an interest in public service is welcome to take part in ARES in a supporting role. Opportunities to grow into leadership or higher qualification levels are available with additional training, and in some cases, ARRL membership.
Groups.io page: https://nenj-ares-emcomm.groups.io/g/main
Monthly Net
Second Monday of every month at 8 PM ET
KC2TXA (SBARC) Repeater
K2MFF (NJIT) Repeater
RF: 146.595 | +1.0 MHz | 100.0 Hz PL encode AND decode | West Essex County
RF: 147.225 | +0.6 MHz | 141.3 Hz PL encode | East Essex County
EchoLink: KC2TXA-R
Training path (high-level)
- Basic – Local ARES orientation; FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800; ARES Position Task Book (Level 1).
- Intermediate – ARRL Basic & Intermediate EmComm; FEMA IS-100/200/700/800; ARES PTB (Level 2). ARRL membership required for this level.
- Advanced – ARRL Advanced EmComm; FEMA PDS (IS-230/240/241/242/244), IS-288; ARES PTB (Level 3); ICS-300/400 where available. ARRL membership required.
- Specialized – Additional preparation for ARESMAT or extended deployments; AUXCOMM where available.
ARES also cooperates with CERT/VOAD and can coordinate with NTS for traffic handling; groups may use radio-email (e.g., Winlink) when appropriate.
Served area: Essex County, New Jersey
Overview
Essex County includes 22 municipalities, with Newark as the county seat. ARES support can be tailored for municipal EOCs, public safety, public health, and NGOs across the county.
Newark Municipalities
22
Municipalities
- Belleville Township
- Bloomfield Township
- Caldwell Borough
- Cedar Grove Township
- East Orange City
- Essex Fells Borough
- Fairfield Township
- Glen Ridge Borough
- Irvington Township
- Livingston Township
- Maplewood Township
- Millburn Township
- Montclair Township
- Newark City
- North Caldwell Borough
- Nutley Township
- City of Orange Township
- Roseland Borough
- South Orange Village Township
- Verona Township
- West Caldwell Township
- West Orange Township
Contact
Stan Rogacki – K2EXX
Essex County Emergency Coordinator – Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
RACES Coordinator – Essex County Office of Emergency Management
Email: [email protected]
For agencies: include your POC, operational period, locations, operational needs, and any required credentials or site access details.