Ham Radio Emergency Communications

What do Amateur Radio = operators do=20 during and after disasters?

Amateur Radio operators set up = and=20 operate organized communication networks locally for governmental = and=20 emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for = private=20 citizens affected by the disaster. Amateur Radio operators are = most likely=20 to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of = communications=20 due to power outages and destruction of telephone, cellular and = other=20 infrastructure-dependent systems.

How do Amateur Radio = operators=20 help local officials?

Many radio amateurs are active as=20 communications volunteers with local public safety organizations. = In=20 addition, in some disasters, radio frequencies are not coordinated = among=20 relief officials and Amateur Radio operators step in to coordinate = communication when radio towers and other elements in the = communications=20 infrastructure are damaged.

What are the major Amateur = Radio=20 emergency organizations?

Amateur Radio operators have = informal and=20 formal groups to coordinate communication during emergencies. At = the local=20 level, hams may participate in local emergency organizations, or = organize=20 local "traffic nets" using VHF (very high frequencies) and UHF = (ultra high=20 frequencies). At the state level, hams are often involved with = state=20 emergency management operations. In addition, hams operate at the = national=20 level through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), = which is=20 coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and = through=20 the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), which is coordinated = through=20 the American Radio Relay League and its field volunteers. In = addition,=20 addition, many hams are involved in Skywarn, operating under the = National=20 Weather Service.

Is Amateur Radio recognized as a resource = by=20 national relief organizations?

Many national organizations = have=20 formal agreements with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) = and=20 other Amateur Radio groups including:

    *=20 Department of Homeland Security -- Citizen = Corps
    *=20 Federal Emergency Management Agency
    * = National=20 Communications System
    * American Red=20 Cross
    * Salvation Army
    = *=20 National Weather Service
    * Association of = Public=20 Safety Communications Officials

What are some examples = of=20 emergencies involving Amateur Radio?

    *=20 Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in Florida --=20 2004
    * Severe weather in Virginia -- May=20 2004
    * Tornadoes in Illinois -- April=20 2004
    * Amtrak train accident in Mississippi = -- April=20 2004
    * Earthquake in Central California -- = December=20 2003
    * Hurricane Isabel -- September=20 2003
    * Northeast blackout -- August=20 2003
    * Midwest tornadoes -- May=20 2003
    * Shuttle Columbia recovery effort -- = February=20 2003
    * Wildfires in Colorado -- June=20 2002
    * Tornado in Maryland -- April=20 2002
    * Flooding in Kentucky -- March=20 2002
    * World Trade Center and Pentagon = terrorist=20 attacks -- September 2001
    * Flooding in = Texas and=20 Louisiana (Storm Allison) -- June 2001
    * = Earthquake=20 in India -- January 2001
    * Earthquake in El = Salvador=20 -- January 2001
    * Ice storms in Southwest = --=20 December 2000
    * Tornado in Alabama -- = December=20 2000
    * Avalanche in Alaska -- March=20 2000
    * Fires in Los Alamos, New Mexico -- = May=20 2000
    * Hurricane Floyd -- September=20 1999
    * Tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas -- = May=20 1999
    * Colombian Earthquake -- January=20 1999
    * Tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee = --=20 January 1999
    * Hurricane Mitch in Central = America --=20 November 1998
    * Flooding in Texas -- October = 1998
    * Hurricane Georges -- September=20 1998
    * Tornadoes in Florida -- February=20 1998
    * "500-Year Flood," Grand Forks, N.D., = and East=20 Grand Forks, Minn. - April 1997
    * Western = U.S.=20 floods - January 1997
    * Hurricane Fran - = September=20 1996
    * TWA plane crash - July=20 1996
    * Oklahoma City Bombing - April 1995=20