 ARRL
rolls out Emergency Radio public relations campaign and web site
'Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through for your family and
community' is the theme of the League's 2007 public relations campaign.
The 'Emergency
Radio' Web site debuted this week.
ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says the
2007 emergency communications initiative pick up the momentum ARRL public
information officers started during the just-ended "Hello" campaign.
"As we begin launching the new emergency communications campaign,
the friendships and good will developed in Hello will aid in future promotions
of Amateur Radio," Pitts said. "For 100 years, radio in its
many forms has saved lives and aided in crises. We have a great legacy
and a bright future."
Pitts says the new Web site is a partner to the "Ham Radio . . .
Getting the message through for your family and community" brochure
now available and, in fact, already starting to make the rounds. "If
an emergency or disaster should happen, the new 'Ham Radio . . . Getting
the message through' site has the capability to quickly upload current
information, providing PIOs with words and pictures to circulate to the
media while the event is still news," he explained.
 As
both the brochure and the "Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through"
Web site note: "Amateur Radio . . has consistently been the most
reliable means of communication in emergencies when other systems failed
or were overloaded." The campaign stresses that ham radio works and
works well and it doesn't require any external infrastructure, such as
telephone lines or even the Internet, to get the message through.
The Web site provides page space for emergency communication and disaster
relief organizations to tell about their work. "So far, SKYWARN,
MARS, SATERN and RACES have taken advantage of our offer, showing the
versatility of ham radio in disasters and emergencies," Pitts says,
"and more are expected."
One page on the Web site and in the brochure cite examples of the varied
emergency communication role of Amateur Radio. It supports National Weather
Service forecasters through SKYWARN, and it helps relief agencies communicate
in the wake of hurricanes and tornadoes - such as the devastating 2005
hurricane season and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
In addition, the campaign emphasizes, ham radio is fun and a good way
to keep in touch with friends or family. "You can have this capability
for yourself and your family," the campaign points out, inviting
members of the general public to get an Amateur Radio license and become
active in emergency communication through the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service (ARES) or other organization. A "How to Get Started"
tab on the Web site offers step-by-step instructions.
'Emergency
Radio' Web site
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