|
|
|
|
WICEN operators in the thick of the action
The State of Victoria is facing unprecedented wildfire conditions. With
the latest including details of amateur radio's involvement, here's Jim
Linton VK3PC.
For 50 days fires have raged in Victoria burning out more than a million
hectares with the loss of homes, property, livestock and wildlife.
Responding agencies are stretched to the limit. They have needed to import
fire-fighters from New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
In the midst of it all are WICEN operators assisting
with communications systems for the Department of Sustainability and Environment
- DSE.
WICEN Victoria State Coordinator, John Kerr VK3BAF advises that operators
were first stationed at Swifts Creek.
The activation, after a short while, was escalated with WICEN operators
also deployed at Benalla and Mansfield. Rain that fell on Thursday eased
the situation somewhat - but there's more of summer ahead.
The previous occasion on which WICEN Victoria provided assistance to DSE
was in the 2002-03 Bogong bushfires in the state's north-east.
WICEN Victoria provided refresher training courses for its members in
December on the operations of the DSE trunked radio system. Excellent
forward planning indeed!
Earlier the Red Cross communications arm RECOM, with radio amateurs as
volunteers, provided communications in December at the bushfire relief
centre that was set up at Bairnsdale in Gippsland.
And also in mid-December, WICEN had 15 operators activated in Tasmania
when fire swept along that's state's east-coast causing extensive damage.
With no end in sight to the fire situation as Australia remains in grips
of its worst drought for century, we're certain to see more involvement
of radio amateurs as they uphold the long tradition of providing emergency
communications in times of natural disasters.
Jim Linton VK3PC
Source: Wireless
Institute of Australia
|
|
Free
Competition |
 |
|
 |
Win
one of five, one-year subscriptions
Click here
|
|
