TBARG has coordinated response teams for several different emergency-oriented groups:
SATERN – Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network is dedicated to assisting The Salvation Army during times of emergency. To provide all possible forms of communication when normal communications are impossible, and through cross training, assist The Salvation Army in any way possible. SATERN is an Amateur Radio operator volunteer based organization.
Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) – The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (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
RACES – RACES stands for “Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service,” a protocol created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission. Many government agencies across the country train their Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) volunteers using the RACES protocol. The volunteers serve their respective jurisdictions pursuant to guidelines and mandates established by local emergency management officials.
SKYWARN – To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Protection (prevention) – Action taken to avoid and incident. Stopping an incident from occurring. Deterrence operations and surveillance.
Preparedness (Actions taken to reduce the impact) – Preparedness activities increase a community’s ability to respond when a disaster occurs. Typical preparedness measures include developing mutual aid agreements and memorandums of understanding, training for both response personnel and concerned citizens, conducting disaster exercises to reinforce training and test capabilities, and presenting all-hazards education campaigns.
Response – Actions carried out immediately before, during, and immediately after a hazard impact, which are aimed at saving lives, reducing economic losses, and alleviating suffering. Response actions may include activating the emergency operations center, evacuating threatened populations, opening shelters and providing mass care, emergency rescue and medical care, fire fighting, and urban search and rescue.
Recovery – Actions taken to return a community to normal or near-normal conditions, including the restoration of basic services and the repair of physical, social and economic damages. Typical recovery actions include debris cleanup, financial assistance to individuals and governments, rebuilding of roads and bridges and key facilities, and sustained mass care for displaced human and animal populations.
Mitigation – Mitigation refers to measures that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Typical mitigation measures include establishing building codes and zoning requirements, installing shutters, and constructing barriers such as levees.