County Hams It Up Big for Preparedness
Radio Operators To Test National Network
Maricopa County – Fifty ham radio operators will gather at the Maricopa County Emergency Operations Center next weekend, June 23 and 24th, to test critical communication and emergency preparedness. The County Department of Emergency Management will be hosting local hams as they take part in a national radio network test that will involve up to 35,000 ham radio operators across the country. The drill, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and the Radio Amateurs of Canada, is designed to test secondary means of communication that may be needed in the event of large-scale emergencies.
“Ham radio operators take a lot of personal pride in what they do,” said Max Wilson, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. “They are enthusiastic volunteers who are proud to be a part of our national readiness,” continued Wilson. Operators will try to contact more than 2,000 stations in the United States and exchange a brief acknowledgement. The contacts will be analyzed to show how effectively communications can carry on at the metropolitan, county, state and national level during simulated emergencies.
The first such test was run in 1933. Even 70 years later, secondary communications systems remain critical to emergency response and planning. “During a recent flood event drill, the telephones in a partner operations center actually went down,” said Warren Leek, Maricopa County Emergency Management director. “It shows just how important it is to have several methods to communicate with other responding agencies and the public,” noted Leek.
Actual radio operations will start at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 23 2007 and will end 24 hours later. The media is welcome to arrange interviews and photo opportunities by calling in advance.
WHAT: Ham Radio Field Test
WHEN: June 23 and 24th, 2007
WHERE: Maricopa County Emergency Operations Center
2035 N. 52nd Street, Phoenix
(52nd Street, approximately 1 block north of McDowell)
The Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management coordinates response and recovery activities through implementation of emergency response plans during and after emergencies. Implementation requires the support and assistance of many other county departments, local jurisdictions, the private sector and volunteer agencies.