so i finally got activated for a real ARES deployment last weekend, county EOC asked for radio support during the flooding situation we had. ive been a member of our local ARES group for about 8 months but this was the first time it wasnt just a drill or a net check-in.

honestly i wasnt sure what to actually DO when i got there. like during the ARRL emcomm training courses everything sounds really organized and clear but when youre standing in the EOC and the emergency manager is stressed out and people are running around... its different. i ended up mostly handling packet traffic between two shelters using my TNC setup but there were a few hours where i just kind of sat there not sure if i should ask for something to do or wait.

one thing that surprised me was how much time is just... waiting. i expected it to be more like the tabletop exercises where stuff is constantly happening. anybody else feel kind of underprepared their first time even after doing all the training? not complaining, it was genuinely a good experience and i want to do more. just wondering if thats normal.

Yeah that waiting thing is completely real and nobody really warns you about it. I've been doing ARES stuff for close to 12 years now and honestly some activations are 80% sitting around with your radio on standby. The EOC folks have their own chaos going on and sometimes they forget we're even there until they need something. Best thing I ever started doing was bringing something quiet to work on and keeping my ears open. Also dont be afraid to check in with the ARES EC every hour or so just to let them know youre available, it keeps you on their radar.

The packet work between shelters is solid experience by the way. A lot of newer folks dont bother learning digital modes and then they're kind of limited when an activation actually calls for it. Sounds like you did fine.

im in basically the same boat as you, been with our RACES group for about 6 months and havent been activated yet. this is actually really helpful to read because i was kind of imagining it being way more intense than maybe it is. did your EC give you a specific assignment before you showed up or did you just figure it out when you got there? thats one thing im not sure about for our group, like how formal the check-in process is supposed to be