Ham Radio included in New Mexico E-comms funding

Dateline, New Mexico, Thursday March 16th. That's where Governor Bill Richardson has signed a bill that creates a state-wide emergency communications network.

It also earmarks a cool half million dollars to fund Amateur Radio's participation in the project.

State Representative Tom Anderson of Bernalillo sponsored the bill into the 2006 session of the New Mexico Legislative session. Anderson, who holds the cal sign KB5YSG, said that following hurricane Katrina, its been seen just how valuable Amateur Radio can be in a disaster. He called the funding
of the network an 'investment' by New Mexico in the protection of lives, property and public lands in the event that a catastrophe might hit that state.

Preliminary plans call for state purchased equipment to be installed in strategic locations as an interlinked VHF and UHF voice and data repeater network. This means communications will be available anywhere in the state when hams are working along side first responders during disaster
situations.

In recent years New Mexico hams have been called out to respond to wildfires in several parts of the state. These firestorms that have consumed thousands of acres of valuable timber and watershed while taxing existing ham radio lines of communications to the maximum.

The New Mexico Emergency Management Association, State Department of Homeland Director Tim Manning and many of the states ham radio groups worked very had to make sure the emergency network funding made it past Governor Richardson's desk.

Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
Amateur Radio Newsline
(Information via WA5WHN)

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