The Huntsville-Madison County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a Federal Communication Commission (FCC)-licensed unit of amateur radio volunteers. It provides backup communications through direct radio communications between the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Operations Center, the Alabama Emergency Operations Center located in Clanton and other networks in the event of an enemy attack, disaster or incident that endangers life or property. RACES volunteers are also trained storm spotters who assist the Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service in the evaluation of a storm cell to determine the need for activation of established warning systems.
An application for the Huntsville-Madison County RACES unit can be obtained from the link on this page. RACES members are also members of ARES, a group of volunteers coordinated by the American Amateur Radio Relay League. ARES members make application to Emergency Management and complete required training/orientation courses. ARES/RACES meetings are normally the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Emergency Operations Center.