SDGARES Logo

Welcome to the San Diego Section of ARES!


75th LogoThe Amateur Radio Emergency ServiceĀ® (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. It is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in the United States and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). The San Diego / Southwestern Section provides services to the San Diego and Imperial Counties of California.

Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible to apply for membership in ARES. Training and credentialing may be required to participate fully in ARES activities. Please inquire at the local level for specific informaton. Because ARES is an Amateur Radio service, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership. Emergency Coordinators do need to be a member of ARRL.

The primary function of SDGARES is to provide Emergency Communications for:

  1. Declared Emergencies
  2. Public Safety Incidents
  3. Served Agency Mutual Assistance (ARC, EMS, CDF, CERT, Beach Rescue)
  4. Public Safety Mutual Assistance (Miramar Air Show, Special Olympics)
  5. Public Safety Drills

San Diego ARES meets the 2nd Saturday of each month.

General Information

  • For information on getting or upgrading a ham radio license, see GLAARG and Ham Study.
  • All ARES members should print for review and action a paper copy of the San Diego ARES Task Book available at SDGARES.groups.io.
  • Hams who are not ARES members are welcome to listen to ARES nets and may check in as guests during weekly nets and during emergencies.
  • Hams should never self-deploy to an emergency because well-intentioned spontaneous volunteers can overwhelm first responders.
  • Here are a few ham radio training videos on YouTube.
  • You can check out previous San Diego ARES meetings on YouTube.
  • To join ARES:
      1.Click on the "Join ARES" link on the left navigation bar and fill out the Membership Application form.
      2. After you submit the Membership Application, visit https://sdgares.groups.io/ to subscribe to the SDGARES email reflector.
San Diego Amateur Radio Emergency Services - a 501.c.3 Non-profit Corporation | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Page Updated March 13, 2023