ACS stands for "Auxiliary Communications Service"  It is a volunteer organization designated by Sheriff Bill Elfo of Whatcom County to provide communications support to the Sheriff's Office and other government agencies in the county.  The ACS is managed by the Director who is appointed by the sheriff and reports directly to him.  The ACS Director works closely with the Deputy Director of the Division of Emergency Management (The Sheriff is the Director of DEM).  The Director of the ACS also works with other members of the Sheriff's staff regarding matters of communications, both emergency and incidental. 

It is the mission of the ACS to develop a corps of skilled communication volunteers.  Members of the ACS will be expected to participate in training and practical exercises to learn and maintain the skills required of them.  Because we are a new organization, one of our first tasks will be to design and implement our own training regimen.  We will also be relying on our relationship with the Blaine ACS, Snohomish County ACS, and the Seattle ACS as models for our organization and training partners.  Because we expect to do much of our communication work on government frequencies, we will need to be trained in the procedures and use of this equipment.  We will also train on and rely on amateur radio equipment as a backup in time of primary equipment failure.

The only prerequisite for ACS candidates is a sincere desire to serve the public of Whatcom County and completion of a criminal background check.  Some of our work will involve new and complex technologies, so basic computer skills are expected, and advanced abilities are a plus. An ACS photo ID and Washington state worker identification card will be issued to all members.

A new member of the WCS0 ACS should either possess or attain the following achievements during the first six months of membership:  an Amateur Radio Technician License, ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-700, ICS-800

ARES/RACES relationship.  The RACES organization has been disbanded in Whatcom County.  The ACS will be the primary provider of volunteer emergency communications to the county government.  ARES is a private organization maintained at a national level by the ARRL that has emergency communication agreements with several private organizations such as the Red Cross.  During time of emergency, the ACS Director may request the assistance of ARES to support its mission, under ACS direction. ARES members are welcome to join the WCSO-ACS while retaining their ARES membership and affiliation.  We will do our best to avoid conflicting meeting or training events with ARES, Blaine ACS, and other organizations involved in volunteer emergency services. 

You are invited to complete and mail an ACS application to the Sheriff's Office (info on the application).  Be sure to include your email address as that will be the primary mode of contact (some application handouts did not have an email space- please add it).  Direct questions by email to admin@WC7SO.com and include a telephone number if you would like to be called.

The following is from the WCSO-ACS charter:

PURPOSE

The Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is a volunteer team of unpaid communication professionals dedicated to assisting Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office with public safety and emergency communications in times of disaster and/or community need.

ACS is organized and operates under the authority and direction of the Whatcom County Sheriff or his designee to provide communications and related support to the Whatcom County Emergency Management functions.  This communications support includes operations on any authorized equipment or frequencies in support of any need that might be in any way connected with an eventual emergency.  This may include:  cellular, computer, email, facsimile, internet, microwave, radio systems (police, fire, amateur, other), satellite, telephone, television, video conference, in-office support of personnel, operators of equipment and systems.   In addition, ACS members volunteer their time to assist Whatcom County Emergency Management with other miscellaneous functions or operations as directed by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).

When activated by WCSO, ACS members may be assigned to carry out one or more of the following tasks and responsibilities:

Staff communications posts at the Whatcom County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or one of several public safety or government agency command centers located throughout the county.

Staff communications posts at Community Center facilities located throughout the county that serve as the communications and coordination hubs for the county’s neighborhood disaster response program (to be developed and organized in outlying cities and communities and coordinated through Division of Emergency Management).

Report to and staff various posts such as schools, shelters, hospitals and clinics, or to field teams to support the County’s emergency response and disaster recovery efforts with communications and other services.

Mission

ACS will, in a professional manner, provide auxiliary communications and other support services to County government and the community as is necessary to support disaster response and recovery efforts.  Typically, ACS’s mission objectives may include, but are not limited to:

Establishing and operating primary and secondary radio networks to carry public safety and emergency communications utilizing amateur as well as a variety of government systems.

Providing communications and administrative support by answering phones, making calls to locate staff and volunteers, as well as necessary mission support equipment and supplies, relaying messages within the EOC and other command centers and between various facilities throughout the County, utilizing computer networks, FAX, email and other methods as well as providing other assistance as may be necessary to support County disaster and emergency situations.

Reporting damage and weather conditions from the field, coordinate requests for assistance from all field teams and report progress on response and recovery actions by way of radio, telephone, television and other forms of communications.

Collecting, organizing, summarizing and reporting intelligence about the disaster or emergency event and the extent of damage as well as the nature of various response and recovery activities that are underway throughout the County.

Much preparation for mission readiness must be implemented through vigorous training and skill development to deal with emergency events.