Training

Skywarn Training

The NWS requirement for being certified as a Basic Spotter is to either attend a live NWS certified training class at least every 2 years or take the online MetEd Skywarn training classes mentioned below.

Available year round, the NWS also has available online SKYWARN training through the COMET MetEd website which is accepted as an equivalent to the Basic Spotter Training live sessions offered each spring by the NWS around the country. There are 2 courses each taking around 1.5-2 hours to complete and an excellent weather picture gallery at the end of the second course. For an overview of the courses available, refer to the NWS Training Portal website. For a direct links to the MetEd Skywarn courses: – Role of the Skywarn Spotter – SKYWARN Spotter Training

Basic FEMA Emergency Management Institute Training

All ARES members wishing to be qualified to assist any served agency in the event of an emergency needs to have completed at least the bare minimum of ICS and NIMS classes. This training will familiarize the member with the basic structure being used throughout the US (local, county, state and federal levels) for handling both planned and unplanned incidents (emergencies). Each class can be stopped and started at the student’s discretion and each class takes about 3 hours to complete. At the end of each class, the student will need to take the timed exam in order to be certified at that level. The initially required classes are:

IS-100  Introduction to Incident Command System  (ICS)

IS-700  National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction

Once completed, the next classes required will clarify and expand on how ICS applies to the individual responder and how resources at all levels (local through federal) are called upon to assist in an incident:

IS-200  ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

IS-800  National Response Framework, An Introduction 

Please forward the email received after successfully completing each exam, which will also have a link to the certificate earned, to emco@kanecountyares.org. Certificates will be kept on file to insure proper credit for the work done and to verify qualifications if deployed.