Training

Upcoming training

NWS Winter Spotter Training — Saturday, October 31, 2026

The National Weather Service office in Gray is holding a free winter weather spotter class, open to anyone interested in weather. Spotters report snowfall, ice accumulation, ice jam flooding and coastal flood erosion through northern New England's winters, and the class teaches how to measure and report them accurately.

• When: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 10:00 AM
• Where: Somerset EOC Building, 4 County Drive, Skowhegan
• Cost: Free
• Registration: email rksmith88@gmail.com or message Rick Smith at 207-431-4776
• Flyer: NWS Winter Spotter Training flyer (PDF)

This is a National Weather Service class, not a Franklin County ARES event. For questions about the training itself, contact Donald.Dumont@noaa.gov. Other spotter classes in the coming months are listed at weather.gov/gyx/skywarn.

Communications Unit Leader (COML) — December 7–10, 2026

The Maine Emergency Management Agency is hosting the All-Hazards COML course, which trains emergency responders to serve as radio communications unit leaders under the Incident Command System: planning how an incident's communications equipment and facilities are used, managing the distribution of equipment to incident personnel, and coordinating its installation and testing. It is intended for emergency response professionals and support personnel with an emergency communications background.

• When: Monday–Thursday, December 7–10, 2026 (four days)
• Where: Maine Emergency Management Agency, 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 2, Augusta
• Cost: Free. Travel and per-diem costs are the student's or their agency's responsibility
• Class size: limited to 30 qualified applicants
• Prerequisites: a public safety communications background with exposure to field operations, validated by the authority who supervises you; basic knowledge of local communications systems and plans; and IS-100, IS-200, ICS-300, IS-700 and IS-800. ICS-400 is recommended
• Registration: email Garrett Buzzell, SWIC, at garrett.buzzell@maine.gov with your name, agency and title/role, email, phone number, a brief description of the knowledge and experience that supports your eligibility, and scanned copies of your prerequisite course certificates
• Announcement: COML course announcement (PDF)

Communications Unit Technician (COMT) — December 14–18, 2026

MEMA is also hosting the COMT course, a hands-on class on establishing and operating the technical communications resources for an incident or planned event — interoperable communications, land mobile radio, satellite, telephone, data and computer technologies. It is intended for emergency response professionals and support personnel with a technical communications background. Each attendee receives a Position Task Book.

• When: Monday–Friday, December 14–18, 2026 (five days)
• Where: Maine Emergency Management Agency, 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 2, Augusta
• Cost: Free, with course materials provided by MEMA. Travel and per-diem costs are the student's or their agency's responsibility
• Class size: limited to 16 qualified applicants
• Prerequisites: a public safety background with experience in field operations; a technical communications background; awareness of fundamental public safety communications technology; basic knowledge of applicable communications plans; and IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800
• Registration: email Garrett Buzzell, SWIC, at garrett.buzzell@maine.gov with your name, agency and title/role, email, phone number, a brief description of the knowledge and experience that supports your eligibility, and scanned copies of your prerequisite course certificates
• Announcement: COMT course announcement (PDF)

Both are Maine Emergency Management Agency courses, not Franklin County ARES events. Registration is not complete until MEMA has received and verified your documentation and confirmed your admittance.

Why training matters

In an emergency we work alongside professional responders, so we use the same language and the same systems they do. Training prepares our members to operate safely and effectively, and to integrate with the Franklin County EMA under the Incident Command System (ICS). Most of the core training is free and online, and you can work through it at your own pace.

The basic path

New members are encouraged to complete the foundational courses below. You do not need to finish everything before you participate — start checking into the net and attending meetings right away, and work through the training as you go.

1. FEMA independent-study courses (free, online)

These are the standard NIMS/ICS courses for emergency volunteers:

• IS-100 — Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS-200 — ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• IS-700 — Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
• IS-800 — National Response Framework, an Introduction

Take them at the FEMA Emergency Management Institute. Each ends with a short exam, and you'll receive a certificate.

2. ARRL EC-001 — Introduction to Emergency Communication

The ARRL's EC-001 course teaches the fundamentals of amateur radio emergency communication: how ARES is organized, how to work with served agencies, message handling, nets, and personal readiness. Find it in the ARRL online course catalog.

Keep your certificates

When you complete a course, save your certificate (a PDF or printout). Some served-agency roles and ID credentials require proof of training, so it helps to keep your records together.

Other ways to build skills

• Check into a net — wednesdays and saturdays at 7:30 PM (1930). The simplest, most valuable practice there is.
• Take a turn as net control — let us know and we'll help you get started.
• SKYWARN — severe-weather spotter training from the National Weather Service.
• Field Day and the SET — annual on-air exercises that build real operating experience.
• Digital modes — try packet, APRS, and Winlink using our local nodes (see Nets & Repeaters).

Questions about where to start? Contact us or ask on the net — we're happy to help.