Ham radio field day shows off vital link

By Kristi O'Harran, Herald Columnist

When I thought pedal-pushers were dead, they came back, ugly as ever, called capris.

Thinking ham radio was outdated, I learned it's on the front burner of communications, as wonderful as always in times of emergencies.

In fact, the Washington State Emergency Management Division and the Washington State Patrol are asking amateur radio operators to join the AMBER Alert system, which provides lickety-split child-kidnapping notifications.

The agencies have asked about 27,000 licensed radio operators in our state to join the mission that quickly warns folks about abductions.

But isn't ham radio as outdated as garter belts?
Rob Harper, State Emergency Management Division spokesman, said hams still provide the community with a vital communications link.

"It increases the range and distribution of the alert message, especially in rural areas where cell or phone service is spotty," Harper said. "The amateur radio system is very dependable and will quickly transmit alerts, in contrast to delays which can be experienced with some commercial broadcast networks."

You can read the full article by Kristi here