| In age of technology, ham radios can still be the vital connection (Oct 11) |
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When all else fails, ham it up.
The recent earthquake in Pennsylvania is a perfect example of how cell phones are often unreliable. Everyone grabbed their Droids, iPhones and Blackberries to ask loved ones if they felt it too, but very few were able to make calls. The ground shaking for a few seconds in Central Pennsylvania was far from a disaster, but having a reliable means of communications is necessary for emergency responders - especially when a real disaster strikes. So if the latest technology won't work, what will? Try the some of the oldest technology. Ham radios have been around since the early 20th century, and a group of about two dozen Adams County residents still practice the hobby, should their services ever be needed. "As long as you can get a radio powered, you are going to be able to talk to somebody," Don Schmitt explained, adding that a 12-volt battery will power the simplest of radios. Members of the club, like Schmitt and Club President Perry Wood, make themselves available to the Adams County Emergency Operations Center in case they would ever need to put radio operators into the field and have them communicate back to the EOC on Greenmayer Lane in Straban Township. "These guys would be our link between the shelters and the EOC," said Adams County Emergency Director of Emergency Services John Eline. The group was on-call when flood waters forced residents of the East Berlin area to evacuate their homes earlier this month, but the county did not require them to respond. Wood remembers that the last they were activated was after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "Pretty much everything got activated then," he said. But that does not mean they are rusty. Eline includes them in exercise scenarios so they can test their abilities. They also participate in biennial Three Mile Island exercise because Adams is an evacuation site for York County residents. People like Schmitt and Wood keep up with the hobby for more reasons than "just in case." They also help with communications at the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg and various bicycle and road races. Officials from other counties occasionally call Adams County asking if they know of any amateur radio operators who can assist them. Lycoming County put out such a request during the recent floods. "They were looking, among other resources, auxiliary communications," Eline said. Wood inherited his interest in amateur radio from his father. He acquired his license in 1975 and has been tinkering with them ever since. "I enjoy seeing something work, putting something together, like a new antenna," he said. "It's fun to see it work and get some satisfaction like it." Amateur radio is regulated by the FCC, and all operators must be licensed. There are several levels of licenses, and the higher ones focus on the more technical aspects of the hobby. Operators must renew their license every ten years, but they do not have to retake the initial test. "A lot of people have the misconception that you need to know Morse Code to get licensed. It used to be that way years ago; they eliminated that completely," Wood said. Emergency Communications is probably the most popular aspect of the hobby, but there is also a social aspect. Ham radio operators have been asking fellow users to "friend" them long before Facebook or the Internet. "You get on the radio, call CQ, saying that you want to talk to somebody and they come back and talk to you," Wood said. "It is very cordial, very friendly. Long before the Berlin Wall came down, there were a lot of people talking to Russians." Wood and Schmitt are always looking for current radio operators, or those who want to learn, to join their club so there is enough people on hand should they be needed to assist county control. More information can be found on their website, http://www.w3kgn.org/, or by contacting Wood at acars@w3kgn.org. |
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