The ARRL Continuing Education Program offers Emergency Communications training courses to prepare radio amateurs to serve our communities in time of crisis when other communications systems fail. The ARRL Emergency Communications training program includes three levels of courses. In order to keep the material in the Level 3 course accurate and up to date, we will be revising the Level 3 curriculum. Dennis Dura, K2DCD, ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager, will be developing the new content. We expect the fully updated course to be available in the first quarter of 2009.

Since the most recent version of the Emergency Communications Level 3 course was launched in 2006, there have been significant changes in the Federal government's programs and policies, as well as in other areas of the emergency response environment. For that reason, we will be temporarily suspending new enrollments in the online Level 3 course effective October 1, 2008 while we update the course content. In addition, no field exams will be given for the current version of the course after October 1.

These changes will not affect students currently enrolled in the Level 3 online course. Students who successfully pass the Level 3 exam before October 1, 2008 will receive a valid course completion certificate.

For information on the status of the revised Level 3 Emergency Communications course, check the Continuing Education Program Web site or contact cep@arrl.org.