Welcome
For those wishing to interact more with their communities, membership in METERS is a great way to meet your neighbors. There is also the satisfaction of helping those in need of assistance. 73, and hope to hear you on the air.

Our Mission
The mission of the METERS is to train and educate participating Amateur Radio operators and others to provide timely, quality, and proficient auxiliary radio communications to served agencies and organizations--our "clients"--for a variety of emergency situations and special events. We are all personally bound to public service with a commitment to our local communities and neighbors throughout the greater Knoxville area.

Organization
METERS is an umbrella organization composed of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), Radio Amateurs Civil Emergency Service (RACES), unaffiliated amateur radio operators, and members of the general public.

ARES
ARES is a component of the American Radio Relay League's (ARRL) Field Organization. ARES functions primarily as a local organization with local control of activities under the aegis of the elected ARRL Section Manager. ARRL Headquarters, specifically Field Services under the supervision of the Field Services Manager, supplies support assistance. Detailed information can be found here.

The local Section Manager (SM), in our case, the Tennessee Section Manager, appoints a Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) and District Emergency Coordinators (DEC). In addition, the SM or SEC may appoint Official Emergency Stations (OES), who may carry out special functions and assignments designated by the DEC. In turn, the Tennessee District 8 Emergency Coordinator may appoint county Emergency Coordinators (EC).

RACES
The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), founded in 1952, is a radio communication service conducted by volunteer licensed amateur radio operators, as authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the United States government, and is designed to provide emergency communications to local or state agencies. FEMA provides planning guidance and technical assistance for establishing a RACES organization at the state and local government level. The FCC is responsible for the regulation of RACES operations. RACES is administrated by a local, county, or state civil defense agency responsible for disaster services. This civil defense agency is typically an emergency services or emergency management organization, sometimes within another agency such as police or fire.