Public Demonstration of Emergency Communications June 23-24

For Immediate Release

For additional information contact:  

James M. Nelson, KE4GWW

President, Wiregrass Amateur Radio Club

PO Box 958, Dothan, AL 36302

Phone:  334-790-3969

info@wb4zpi.org

“Who ya’ goanna call? Dothan Radio Hams!”

Public Demonstration of Emergency Communications June 23-24

Dothan, Alabama – Despite the internet, cell phones, email and other modern communications, every year whole geographic regions find themselves in the dark and without communications.   Tornadoes, wildfires, storms, ice and even accidental events have people without the means to communicate.  In these cases, the one consistent service that has never failed was Amateur Radio.  The radio operators, often called “hams”, provide backup communications for everything from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to local communities and even for the International Space Station.  This year Dothan “hams” will be joining with thousands of other Amateur Radio operators to demonstrating their emergency communications preparedness and capabilities on Jun 23-24.

Over the recent past, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns all across America, which included the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes right here in North Alabama and other events world-wide.  When trouble is brewing Amateur Radio’s operators are often the first to provide first responders/rescuers with critical information and communications.  

On June 23-24, the public will have a chance to see for themselves what the Amateur Radio service is all about, to meet and talk with Dothan ham radio operators. This annual event call “Field Day” is sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio.  Using emergency power, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country.  Their slogan, “When all else fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone, internet or any other infrastructure system that can be compromised in a crisis.  More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

The fastest way to turn a crisis into a total disaster is to lose communications,” said Allen Pitts of the ARRL.  “From the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan to the tornadoes in Alabama, ham radio provided the most reliable communication networks in the first critical hours of these events.   Because ham radio is not dependent on the internet, cell phone towers or other infrastructure systems, they work when nothing else is available. 

This year in the Dothan area, the Wiregrass Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating amateur radio, it’s preparedness and emergency communications capability at the Northside Methodist Academy on 2600 Redmond Road, Dothan on June 23-24 starting around 1PM CT.  The public is welcome to come and see ham radio in operation.  

Amateur Radio is growing and there are now over 700,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US with more than 2.5 million around the world.  If you are interested in ham radio, then Jun 23-24 will be a great time to get some first hand information about getting licensed.  

To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org.  For information about the Wiregrass Amateur Radio Club in Dothan please visit www.wb4zpi.org.  

Once again you are cordially invited to come, meet and talk with hams and see what Amateur Radio can do.  We can even help you get started on the road to getting on the air.  All are welcome.