Global co-operation on amateur radio emergency communications

Next month will see a number of amateur radio societies unite to participate in the first global simulated emergency test.

While these emergency communications training exercises have occurred in various countries, and been organised in the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 in the past, this preparedness for emergencies is now going world-wide.

The IARU Region 1 has invited Regions 2 and 3 to join it in the Third Emergency Communications, or EmCom Party on the 11th of November.

This year it will be SSB phone only but is to include digital modes next year.

In the IARU Region 3 the participating radio societies so far are the Chinese Radio Sports Association, Wireless Institute Australia and the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters.

The WIA has volunteered to be the IARU Region 3 headquarters station for this event and will use the callsign VK4WIA/D from Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The Third EmCom Party is to operate on the centre of emergency activity frequencies on the 80, 40, 20, 17 and 15 metre bands, and will for the first time, use the addition to callsign suffixes, slash D, which designates emergency stations.

There will be more news on the EmCom Party in later broadcasts.

Jim Linton VK3PC
Chairman of the IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia