Amateur radio operators have been known as innovators of technology for over a century. Since the first voice broadcast on December 24, 1906 when Reginald Fessenden's voice and song cut through the airwaves, hams have continued to learn and teach each other the subtle art and exact science that is radio.
In the age of the Internet ham radio operators continue to push the boundaries of "normal" communication by creating ways of linking radios together over the Internet to establish contacts anywhere in the world. Some are experimenting with transmitting high-speed data connections over distances as far as 15 to 20 miles while getting more than 1 megabyte of bandwidth.
In addition to being technical proficient, amateur radio operators who have a desire to serve as volunteer emergency communicators are urged to become tactically competent as well. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created several online courses that volunteers are highly encouraged to take before volunteering to support an event or drill. The IC-100, IC-200, IC-700 and IC-800 are available at http://training.fema.gov/IS/NIMS.asp.
Upon completion, hams may request to have their credentials shared online in case their certificates become lost or unavailable. (http://www.arkansas-aresraces.org/AresRaces/ARECCNIMSLIST.htm)
