I just completed the ARRL's Level II Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (ARECC Level II) yesterday.
These courses are definitely worth taking. They require some serious time and commitment, because there are numerous "Activities" that really need some work to do properly. They are not just fill-in-the blank or multiple choice questions, instead they are quite challenging projects.
I'm hoping to become much more active in local emcomm efforts (my last official RACES badge expired a few years ago) and these courses are helping me tune back in since there have been many changes to the way emergency management utilizes amateur operators. In the past I have been involved with the Pima County RACES group, Civil Air Patrol, and the Rio Rancho Public Safety Reserves. I've always enjoyed this type of volunteer effort and while my primary interest in ham radio really isn't about emergency communications, it is one of the FCC's stated purposes for the existence of amateur radio and it can be quite interesting.
There is one more course in the series, Level III, which I'm registered for already. It won't start until later this month though.
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