so i finally got activated for real last weekend, not just a drill. there was some severe weather moving through the county and the EC called everyone up to staff the EOC and a couple shelter locations. ive been in ARES for about eight months now and done maybe four or five nets and one SET but nothing where it actually mattered.

honestly it was way less chaotic than i expected but also kind of humbling because there were moments where i wasnt sure what exactly i was supposed to be doing. like i know how to operate, thats not the problem, but the whole ICS thing and who reports to who and what goes on what form — that stuff got a little blurry when things were actually moving fast. the experienced guys were great about it though, one of them basically just stood near me for the first hour which helped a lot.

anyway just wanted to share because ive seen a lot of posts here from people on the fence about joining ARES and i was one of those people for a long time. its different from just being on the air for fun but its worth it if you take the training seriously. the ICS-100 and 200 stuff really does matter, wish id paid more attention the first time through.

that's really cool you got a real activation so early on. a lot of people go years without getting called up for anything beyond a SET. the ICS stuff clicks way better once youve actually used it under some pressure, at least thats how it was for me. i remember my first real one i kept wanting to just go around the net control and call direct because it felt faster — had to remind myself thats not how it works and theres a reason for the structure.

the 700 and 800 courses are worth doing too if you havent already, some counties actually require them before you can staff the EOC at all. glad it went well and that you had somebody nearby to keep you on track, thats how it should work.

im working up to joining our local ARES group and this is actually really helpful to read. i keep putting it off because i feel like i dont know enough yet but maybe thats just an excuse. what HF or VHF gear do you typically run during something like that, just whatever portable stuff you bring or does the EOC have its own equipment?