SELA - ARES is a 501c3 organization that comprises the southeast portion of Louisiana totaling 11 Parishes or counties. Each parish falls under the coordination of SELA.  With each Parish having a local ARES Emergency Coordinator who is the primary contact for that Parish's Local Government to request an activation of the Parish ARES Group. . Once activated, the EC in the effected area can call on members and equipment from other groups that fall under the SELA banner.  This allows a small group to have the resources of a large organization to draw upon during a disaster. ARES is a organization founded by the Amateur Radio Relay League to support emergency services and provide communications in the event of local or national disasters