Programs and Services > PA Auxiliary Communications Services Program

Pennsylvania Auxiliary Communications Services Program

Click the link for an ACS program overview and detailed information.

Click on the link to the What's Happening page to check for information and updates

Volunteers - Serve your State or Local Community

Whether it's with YOUR local government, regional task force or with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, opportunities exist for those with appropriate backgrounds and interest.

An ACS unit is a great place to volunteer ones time and efforts and it can be interesting and meaningful. Activities can include field response with Communications Vans, Mobile or Portable units, equipment caches, inter-operability equipment; or operations at one of the PEMA Area Office Communications Centers (Indiana or Hamburg), or at the State Emergency Operations Center in Harrisburg with the PEMA ACS unit or with a county or regional task force unit.

There are also ACS Officers who are the liaisons between volunteer emergency communications units in the 9 regional task forces, 67 counties, and the state level ACS units for emergency preparedness planning, as well as coordinating communications mutual aid between governments under NIMS.

This, coupled with their management role at these various levels, calls for special talents. Volunteer opportunities are available at all levels for those with skill, abilities and/or interests in a variety of specialties; from telephone to satellite to radio to office and computer systems, as well as management or administration, and clerical and office support.

For more information, and/or an application to join a Commonwealth ACS unit or contact information for a local ACS/RACES unit, please use the contact information below and your request will be forwarded to the appropriate ACS/RACES Officer.

By phone: 717-346-3103 or by email to: ra-acs@pa.gov

Commonwealth ACS Officer/PEMA Headquarters ACS Officer - Cynthia Garfold, KB3LZN

PEMA Headquarters Assistant ACS Officer - Rodney Gallagher, KB3OTY

Central Area ACS Officer - Travis Best, W3TMB

Eastern Area ACS Officer - Christopher Post, WZ3Q

Western Area ACS Officer - Dave Hunter, N3YFO

Commonwealth ACS Coordinator - Christopher Snyder, NG3F

E-mail list for information/discussion of ACS related topic

This list will be used by PEMA to disseminate information regarding the PA ACS Program. If you want to receive information on this program please sign up for this list.

Carmine W. Prestia, Jr., K3CWP and Pete Weiss have made the PA-ARES-RACES-L list available for use to disseminate information and discuss topics related to provide a communication vehicle for interested amateur radio operators and others at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency involved in planning and coordinating backup, emergency, and disaster communications through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and Pennsylvania Auxiliary Communications Services (ACS) Program

To subscribe, send a one line body-of-text email (no Subject or signature required):

To: LISTSERV@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Place the following in the body of the email:

SUBSCRIBE PA-ARES-RACES-L firstname lastname, callsign and/or ACS affiliation

After you are subscribed, you can send a message to the list by using the following addressing: PA-ARES-RACES-L@lists.psu.edu

PA ACS Network Frequencies

Voice Net Frequencies:

Central Area Net Frequencies:

7.2505 MHz LSB - Primary Daytime Amateur Radio Frequency
3.9935 MHz LSB - Primary Nighttime Amateur Radio Frequency

Eastern Area Net Frequencies:

7.2275 MHz LSB - Primary Daytime Amateur Radio Frequency
3.9875 MHz LSB - Primary Nighttime Amateur Radio Frequency

Western Area Net Frequencies:

7.2720 MHz LSB - Primary Daytime Amateur Radio Frequency
3.9905 MHz LSB - Primary Nighttime Amateur Radio Frequency

Alternate frequencies when propagation and band conditions warrant:

5.3480 or 5.3680 MHz LSB (Maximum 50 Watts PEP)

Data Net Frequencies

paNBEMS
An on the air training net is conducted Sunday mornings at 10:00 am ET on 3.5835 USB and then at about 11:00 am ET switch to 7.0730 USB. The net usually concludes at about 11:30 am ET.

3.5835 MHz USB - using 8/500 Olivia, 1000 Hz center waterfall frequency
7.0730 MHz USB - using 8/500 Olivia, 1000 Hz center waterfall frequency

RACES Specific Frequencies

During a national emergency when the President’s war emergency powers are not invoked, amateur radio frequencies may be designated for RACES use and are subject to shared use on a secondary basis.
PEMA, under guidance from the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), has designated the following frequencies for use under a declared RACES Condition, as outlined in this plan, for RACES stations or amateur stations operating in RACES to make initial contact with a military unit and for communications with military stations on matters requiring coordination:

3.997 MHz LSB
7.260 MHz LSB
14.334 MHz USB
53.30 MHz LSB
Others may be designated for local communications, as necessary