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www.southgatearc.org
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Amateur radio clubs can help during a disasterAmateur radio operators and clubs will always
aid in emergency communications. But, how do you locate and contact
one? In the event of an emergency you will be at one of several places: home, a shelter, staying with friends or relatives, or stranded getting to one of these places. There is a very good chance that your cell phone and hard line phones may not work during a disaster. Your family, friends and neighbors will want to know what happened to you. They will want to hear that you are OK from someone, anyone. Many of the people who will be looking for information about you may not be local; they may be out of state, or possibly out of the country. So, how do you let people know you are OK? Amateur radio could be the answer. You do not need your "ham" license to use this network of people who will have the capability to put your friends, family or neighbors at rest about your whereabouts or condition. There will be amateur radio operators at each American Red Cross shelter. These operators will be "passing traffic," which is the official term used by the operators when passing emergency information to another operator. This "traffic" will be passed through a chain of operators until the message reaches its intended location. There are worldwide networks in place in the amateur radio community that will be working hand in hand with the Red Cross, Baptist Men's group, Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, local health departments and DeSoto County Emergency Management, as well as FEMA and law enforcement agencies. In preparing for the worst possibilities, you can preplan radio communications that can reach worldwide if needed. You can locate local amateur radio operators, local radio clubs and ask if they have the ability to "pass traffic" in the event of an emergency. Your family and friends who may be looking for you can do the same in their areas. The first step is identifying local amateur radio operators. There is a Web site that is available to identify amateur radio operators. Go to: www.qrz.com. Scroll down the left side of the Web site and click on "database." On this page you can enter your zip code in the search area. In a test performed for DeSoto County, 34266 was entered and 63 ham radio operators were found in this zip code. When you scroll down this list you may see the names of neighbors, friends, an associate from work or school or church. Contact them and see if they have the capabilities of "passing traffic" in the event of an emergency. This Web site will offer you an abundance of information regarding amateur radio, including practice tests and information about how to obtain your own license. The Web site database search page will give you the "call sign" for each radio operator. The FCC assigns a call sign to each amateur radio license, which is used to specifically identify that operator. At the top of each page of the Web site, you will see an area in which you can enter a call sign. If you type in a call sign, it will show you information regarding that operator, what type of license they have, when it was issued and other information. To test a call sign, enter the following call sign, K8CJE, to try it out. (This is my call sign). The DeSoto County Amateur Radio Club is calling upon the community to help with needs we have. The club is in great need of bilingual citizens who would act as translators or would be interested in getting an amateur radio license. Also, if you know of any radio equipment or antennas that are not being used, consider donating them to the local amateur club for use in service to the community. If so, please contact 863-494-4904 or cjebner@earthlink.net. If you would be interested in learning more about amateur radio, please accept the club's invitation to attend a meeting. This month's meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at Nancy's Restaurant in downtown Arcadia. You are more than welcome to come at 6 p.m. for dinner. The club is very informal and you do not need to be a member to participate. The club's mission is to serve the needs of the local community and enjoy the friendships made along the way.
CINDY EBNER, K8CJE Written by Cindy Ebner
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