Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services ( RACES )
RACES is a special part of the amateur radio community with dedicated licensed volunteers who provide essential radio communications in support of Kane County OEM operations during times of emergency or disaster. RACES was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) subsequent to FCC Rules and Regulations, Part 97, Subpart E, Section 407.
KC9OEM Repeater System
The Kane County Office of Emergency Management supports the KC9OEM 2m repeater which operates at 100W on 145.47 MHz with a 103.5 PL and a -600 KHz offset. The 6.7dB antenna resides within the City of Geneva, Illinois and is approximately 300 feet above a ground elevation of 738 feet.
KC9OEM is an open repeater system and all licensed amateur radio operators are invited to use the repeater during normal operations. The 2m repeater will go into emergency operations mode whenever it is needed to support the mission of the Kane County Office of Emergency Management.
During emergency operations a radio net will be established by a qualified net control operator from Kane County RACES, or by a member of Kane County ARES®. One of the most common uses of the KC9OEM repeater in emergency operations is for Skywarn operations during severe weather events.
Weekly Net
The Kane County Office of Emergency Management and Kane County ARES® host the Kane County Emergency Net each Wednesday evening at 1830 hrs. (6:30 PM CT) on the 2m KC9OEM repeater. The purpose of this net is to verify radio equipment is functional, to maintain contact with supporting amateur radio operators, and pass current news and information. All licensed amateurs are invited to check into the net.
