Welcome to REACT International’s training program. Our effectiveness as an emergency communications organization depends on the knowledge, skills, and ability of our members to support the agencies and organizations with which we have memorandums of understanding and agreement when we are called to do so. Operating in the full range from simple emergencies to major emergencies to disasters requires that our members be able to communicate in a variety of ways using current national standard procedures, be able to interface with other communications systems, and be organized in ways that plug into organizations structured according to national standards.
This page will help you access the training that you need. As new materials come online and standards change we will keep it updated so that you can use it as a guide for the training you need and for specialized training for your Team, Council, or Region.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Four Federal Emergency Management Agency independent study courses are a standard requirement for participation in major emergency and disaster communications in any volunteer emergency communications organization:
- IS-100 Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS-100 is the equivalent course)
- IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (ICS-200 is the equivalent course)
- IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
- IS-800 National Response Framework, An Introduction
Go to the Emergency Management Institute’s Independent Study program page for more information of current editions of these courses and the procedures to enroll and complete them. There is no charge for these courses, and they may be applicable for college credit.
REACT COURSES
REACT International publishes training courses on a wide variety of topics related to emergency communications and team management. Each course consists of an independent study text and an online examination. Successful completion of the examination results in an award of a course certificate and continuing education units (the national standard recognition for professional training in a non-academic setting). The following courses are available:
- 101 Emergency Communications
- 102 Introduction to Land Search and Rescue
- 103B Protecting Personal and Sensitive Information
- 103C Using the Zello Voice Training and Operations Nets
- 104 Monitoring
- 105 Introduction to Net Operations
- 106B Family Radio Service
- 109A Messages – The Radiogram
- 109B Messages – ICS 213 General Message
- 110 Deployment Awareness
- 111 Basics of Drills and Exercises
- 113 Disaster Basics
- 114 Alerting
- 115 The Emergency Operations Plan
- 116 Introduction to Net Control
- 117 Spot Reporting
- 120 Traffic System Operator Basic Familiarization
REACT EXERCISES
REACT International conducts alerting, warning, and deployment online exercises in February, May, August, and November. These normally start with an exercise buildup on Friday and specific response actions on Saturday. Ahead of each exercise, we publish training materials specific to the exercise scenario, and a set of detailed exercise instructions. The current exercise is:
23-24 February 2018 ALERTEX 2018-A
RESOURCE TYPING
In 2012 the Board of Directors adopted resource typing for our emergency communications teams. Resource typing is a National Incident Management System standard practice to provide known quantities of responders with specific equipment trained to a recognized standard. In 2018 our goal is to have training available, credentialing in place, and a 2 person Type IV Communications Teams (a deployable resource), Base Radio Station Teams (fixed resources to provide local communications and monitoring), and Message Handling Teams (to operate the REACT Traffic System) certified.
For more information about forming a Type IV Team in your REACT Team, contact [email protected]. The original material on typing REACT resources is in a revision to update standards based on the most recent, but still provides a good overview of the typing program.
MESSAGE TRAINING
The REACT Traffic System provides a Traffic Net weekly on Zello, accessible by all members regardless of which radio service you routinely use. The Traffic Net’s focus is on regularly passing formal messages in the two standard formats used in Amateur and governmental emergency communications.
REACT Warning Team 6247 conducts monthly formal message runs on Zello to qualify members in receiving voice messages. If you submit a 100% correct copy of the message for the monthly run, you receive a QSL card certificate verifying your proficiency as of the date of the run at a specific word per minute rate of transmission.
For information on becoming a member of the Traffic Net and on the qualifying message runs, contact [email protected].
READ THE REACTEer
Each month our magazine, The REACTer, carries a column Training for the Future. This highlights new courses, training events, and other information you need to become a more proficient emergency communicator. If you are not receiving the magazine, please check to make sure we have a current e-mail address for you.