Amateur Radio operators 'true heroes'

US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), this week offered "A Salute to Ham Radio Operators" on the floor of the US House.

Ross, one of two Amateur Radio licensees in the House of Representatives (the other is Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI,
R-OR), addressed his colleagues February 8 to recognize the contributions of the Amateur Radio community in the wake of last year's devastating hurricane season.

"Citizens throughout America dedicated to this hobby - a hobby that some people consider old fashioned or obsolete - were true heroes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as they were often the only line of communication available into the storm ravaged areas," Ross said.

He noted that while ham radio is often overlooked "in favor of flashier means of communication," Gulf Coast communities learned after the 2005 hurricanes that technology can be "highly vulnerable" to storm damage. "Ham radios, entirely self- contained transmitters, require no cell towers or
satellites, simply a battery and a strip of wire as an antenna," Ross explained.

Because of the "critical intervention" of radio amateurs across the US, Ross said, many lives were saved following Hurricane Katrina.

"The dedication displayed by ham radio operators in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sets a tremendous example for us all," Ross concluded, noting that "now more than ever" he's proud to be an Amateur Radio operator.

"The people whose lives were rescued as a result of the tireless dedication of ham radio operators will forever be grateful to these selfless public servants."

Source: The American Radio Relay League

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