Ham radio partnership will help hospitals in emergencies

(from the Chattanooga Times Free Press)

If a natural disaster or terrorist attack hits Chattanooga, wiping out telephone lines and disrupting satellite phones, amateur radio enthusiasts will act as a lifeline among hospitals and the local health department, public health officials said Monday.

A partnership between the Amateur Radio Emergency Service — also known as “ham radio” — and area health facilities will ensure that hospitals and public health facilities will be able to talk to each other if typical lines of communication are damaged, officials said.

“We’re being proactive (by) having something in place in advance, instead of in a disaster screaming for help,” said Winston Shields, director of emergency management and safety at Memorial Hospital.

The joint effort will be celebrated during an event at Erlanger hospital today.

In a crisis situation, radio communication can be lifesaving, said Jenny Wolverton, regional hospital coordinator for emergency preparedness at the local health department.

“Without that, it could really hamper patient care. It could hamper our ability to know that maybe a hospital is in distress ... much like what we saw in (Hurricane) Katrina,” Ms. Wolverton said.

The radio service is a national group of licensed amateur radio operators who volunteer their services in case of a disaster.

You can read the full article at:
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/03/chattanooga-ham-radio-partnership-will-help-hospit/?local