In 1995 a small group of hams started an ARRL club named the Nassau County Amateur Radio Society (NCARS). The club was subsequently renamed the Nassau County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (NCARES) in 2009, when the club began assisting the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) branch of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. The club renamed itself back to Nassau County Amateur Radio Society (NCARS) in 2024 when our support of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) began to decline.  NCARES is still operational and the website can be reached here.

The club had ideas for developing a system of repeaters to provide amateur radio licensees everyday public and robust emergency communication capabilities throughout Nassau County.  Because the equipment, installation, and maintenance required were expensive and the club members were all volunteers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was formed in 2011 – NCARES, Inc. This provided the opportunity to receive donations, hold fundraising events, and make purchases without paying taxes – making us better able to expand and improve our service to the community both between and during emergencies.