Five Lancaster ARES Team members have completed the course requirements for CERT, and have joined the newly formed Lancaster Regional CERT team.  The course, comprised of classroom and practical exercises, set the foundation for new team members to respond to calls by Lancaster County Department of Public Safety.  Congrats to Nate W3NHW, Ray W3RSH, Jeff WJ2MP, Robin KC3UZG and Doug W3COB.  If anyone wants more information about CERT, please reach out to Doug W3COB or complete a "Contact Us" form.

Saturday January 24 was Lancaster ARES 1st Quarter 2026 Training, with 23 team members attending.  Doug W3COB gave a our annual State of the Team presentation, which included a recap of 2025, and our course for 2026.  The training following was a "back to basics" topic:  Programming Your Radio from the Keypad.  The topic was chosen to reinforce 3 points; 1) You might have to program your radio without a computer, 2) every radio is different, and 3) knowing how to do something is easier than teaching it, and anyone might need to teach someone someday!  Thanks to all who attended!!!!  Look for a copy of the Presentation (power point style) under Training.

Thirteen members of Lancaster County ARES and other county Amateur Radio Operators participated in the 2025 Limerick Generating Plant Exercise on November 18, 2025, at the request of PEMA Auxiliary Communications Service.  Limerick Generating  Plant is located in Montgomery County, PA.  With this exercise, Lancaster County ARES demonstrated our ability to respond to a call-up, pass weather conditions and improve radio operator net proficiency.  While Winlink was the primary reporting mode, stations without that capability passed their information to relay stations to complete the report. 

Lancaster ARES will conduct our annual April Towers Drill on Saturday, April 19th 2025 from 1000 - 1200 hrs EDT.  For 2025, our focus will be on the effectiveness of the UHF Amateur Band using Simplex Frequencies and the locally established UHF Repeater Systems.

As before, April Towers Drill will focus on major municipal locations throughout Lancaster County.  We are looking for operators who wouldn't mind cruising around Lancaster County on a fine spring morning to test radio communications!  

More information, please click this link:  APRIL TOWERS 2025 DRILL PLAN

Everyone is invited to attend the First Quarter 2025 Training and info meeting. Please invite anyone interested in public service through Amateur Radio! Please RSVP, and add a comment if you will be bringing anyone who is not already a Lancaster ARES team member.  <RSVP HERE>

We will review our accomplishments from 2024, cover a couple training topics, give updates on Lancaster ARES activities for the upcoming year.

Special thanks to the Red Rose Repeater Association, who has rented the site for their Winter Field Day 2025 activity and has allowed us to once again piggyback with their event.. RRRA will have plenty of food and beverages, so come out for the ARES meeting, and stay around to learn and operate in the Winter Field Day! If you are able, please consider making a small donation to RRRA to help cover their expenses.