The Defiance County Amateur Radio Club supports emergency preparedness and community events throughout northwest Ohio, providing trained volunteer operators when reliable communications matter most.
Emergency Communications (ARES)
DCARC holds a unit within the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the ARRL’s volunteer program that coordinates trained operators with local emergency management agencies, hospitals, public health, and first responders.
In a declared emergency or major communications failure, ARES operators can establish independent voice, digital, and packet links that do not depend on commercial infrastructure — no cell towers, no internet required.
SkyWARN Severe Weather
Club members serve as trained severe weather spotters through the NWS Northern Indiana SkyWARN program. During tornado watches, severe thunderstorm warnings, and significant weather events, our operators relay real-time ground-truth observations directly to the National Weather Service office serving northwest Ohio.
SkyWARN activation nets are conducted on the 147.090 MHz repeater (PL 123.0) at the direction of the NWS duty forecaster. All licensed operators are welcome to check in.
Spotter training is free and open to both licensed and unlicensed individuals. The NWS offers in-person and online training sessions annually. Watch the club calendar for scheduled classes in the area.
Public Event Support
DCARC volunteers provide on-site communications for parades, charity walks, cycling events, outdoor festivals, and other community gatherings. Typical services include:
- Information relay – course and route marshaling, real-time participant tracking across a large venue
- Parking coordination – directing traffic flow and communicating lot capacity across multiple remote locations
- Medical relay – bridging first responder communications at large events where radio coverage may be inconsistent
- Net control – a central coordination station for all field volunteers at an event
Get Involved
Any licensed amateur radio operator can participate in public service activities. Contact the club to be added to the ARES and public service volunteer list, or to ask about current training opportunities and activation schedules.