About

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is the emergency communications division of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).

Pikes Peak Amateur Radio Emergency Service (PPARES) is an organized group of amateur (HAM) radio operators whose goal is to provide emergency communications for both government and private agencies in the Colorado counties of Teller and El Paso when called upon. PPARES strives to enhance the reliability, quality and professionalism of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) personnel, through the establishment of training and performance standards, policies, procedures, management and supervision.

Pikes Peak ARES® provides public safety and public service communication support using HAM Radios when conventional communication systems are damaged, destroyed, overloaded or otherwise unavailable. PPARES tailors its communication services to the needs of its served agencies, which may be any governmental, law enforcement, fire, medical, disaster relief or non-profit agency/organization in El Paso and Teller Counties.

Pikes Peak ARES® members receive emergency communication and preparedness training through courses offered at the district, section and national levels. We routinely test our capabilities under emergency conditions during disaster exercises and public service events. Not only do we provide our served agencies with trained communicators, but communications equipment and technical expertise/assistance as well.

Pikes Peak ARES® also oversees the local Skywarn program which utilizes amateur radio weather observers (spotters), trained by the National Weather Service (NWS), to provide ground truth weather observations directly to the NWS Pueblo Forecast Office during weather events such as severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail storms, floods and blizzards.