National Institute of Amateur Radio

6-3-1092 /93, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda,
Hyderabad-500082, Telangana, India.

+91 40 2331 0287

+91 40 2331 0787

info@niar.org

RACES Wing

What is RACES?

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is part of NIAR's public service activities that provides a reserve communications group in times of extraordinary need. During periods of activation, RACES personnel are called upon to perform many tasks for the government agencies they serve.
RACES provide a pool of emergency communications personnel and maintain the list of Hams & members of NIAR across the country and prepare themselves for the inevitable day when they will be called upon.
Traditional RACES operations involve emergency message handling on Amateur Radio Service frequencies. These operations typically involve messages between critical locations such as Government offices, hospitals, Cyclone/Flood shelters, and any other locations where communication is needed to the District or State headquarters.
Whatever need arises, trained RACES personnel are ready and prepared to help, develop and maintain their communications ability during emergencies and public-service events. When that fateful day occurs, RACES will be there to meet the challenge.

Volunteers in action

The greatest asset any organisation working for emergencies is a dedicated group of volunteers. They often accomplish miracles that paid staff will not achieve because they are motivated by a totally different perspective. (This is not to criticize paid staff, but to point out a distinction.)
It happens in NGOs & Voluntary agencies where there is a leadership with the requisite sense of purpose, and who understands its relationship to the volunteers. That, in turn, leads to committed and active involvement from the volunteers.
In other words, if you are going to use volunteers you need to know the listed these aspects:
1. Active involvement with a purpose.
2. That the purpose makes sense.
3. Both involvement and purpose must relate to the mission of the unit and the agency.
It has been said that involvement that finds out the skills and talents of each participant and puts them to tasks they can manage--tasks that interest them, and for which they have the skills, even if they themselves do not yet recognize they possess those very skills/talents.
While there is no doubt that it is necessary for Amateur radio to integrate newer technologies into all of its public service activities in order to remain viable, the most valuable asset we have remains that of the trained operator.