Solar-powered Amateur Radio Station in tents. Note the portable VHF/UHF satellite and HF antennas in the background

In times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications fail.

Unlike commercial systems, Amateur radio is not as dependent on terrestrial facilities that can fail. It is dispersed throughout a community without "choke points" such as cellular telephone sites that can be overloaded.

Amateur radio operators are experienced in improvising antennas and power sources and most equipment today can be powered by an automobile battery. Annual "Field Days" are held in many countries to practice these emergency improvisational skills. Amateur radio operators can use hundreds of frequencies and can quickly establish networks tying disparate agencies together to enhance interoperability.

Recent examples include the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan in 2001, the 2003 North America blackout and Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, where amateur radio was used to coordinate disaster relief activities when other systems failed.

On September 2, 2004, ham radio was used to inform weather forecasters with information on Hurricane Frances live from the Bahamas. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake and resulting tsunami across the Indian Ocean wiped out all communications with the Andaman Islands, except for a DX-pedition that provided a means to coordinate relief efforts. Recently, Amateur Radio operators in the People's Republic of China provided emergency communications after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and U.S. hams did similar work following Hurricane Ike.

The largest disaster response by U.S. amateur radio operators was during Hurricane Katrina which first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane went through Miami, Florida on August 25, 2005, eventually strengthening to Category 5. More than a thousand ham operators from all over the U.S. converged on the Gulf Coast in an effort to provide emergency communications assistance. Subsequent Congressional hearings highlighted the Amateur Radio response as one of the few examples of what went right in the disaster relief effort.

[edit] Organization

While every ham has some emergency communications capability, those who are particularly interested in the public service aspects of the hobby usually affiliate with an organized group for disaster specific training, quick mobilization and to practice emergency skills. These major organizations include:

[edit] International

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) is held in a new location yearly by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), hosting discussion and coordination of large-scale and cross-border amateur radio emergency response.

[edit] Australia

In Australia WICEN (pronounced "wye-sen"), the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network is the officially recognized group that manages Amateur Radio operators to provide emergency communications. It is organised by state and region, with autonomous bodies in each state linked to that jurisdiction's disaster plan. In most states, WICEN is organized by a committee of the WIA state organization, but in New South Wales and Victoria, WICEN is separately incorporated. WICEN has been activated for various emergencies, notably in recent years the Black Saturday bushfires on 7 February 2009 in Victoria. In NSW, WICEN is an accredited squad of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.

[edit] Canada

In Canada, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of Canada. Often other less formal networks of volunteer radio operators are also used and organized by the local emergency response agencies in conjunction with local ham radio operators.

[edit] India

Indian amateur radio operator, Bharathi VU4RBI, demonstrates Amateur Radio to local students in Port Blair, Andaman Islands, a few days before the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

In India, Vigyan Prasar (a science promotion body under the Indian Department of Science and Technology) coordinates simulated disaster communication exercises and also organizes trainingto help people get a ham radio license in areas which are vulnerable to natural calamities. A chapter on Alternative Communication Systems was incorporated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) into its syllabus on disaster management. In this chapter, the emergency disaster communication operation of ham radio operators during the tsunami is highlighted.

[edit] Ireland

In Ireland (26 counties), the Amateur Radio Emergency Network (AREN), co-ordinates emergency communications activities on behalf of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS). AREN membership is, however, open to all amateur radio operators whether members of IRTS or not.

[edit] The Netherlands

The Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service (DARES) was founded in 2003 as a result of the World Radio Conference 2003, where was decided that licenced Dutch radio amateurs were allowed to offer their services to third-parties in an emergency situation. DARES is recognized by the State Department of The Netherlands and supported by the two largest national radio amateur organisations: VERON and VRZA.

DARES consists of a group of radio amateurs and shortwave listeners who offer their knowledge and radio equipment during a disaster or major incident. The organisation is built upon the 25 safety regions defined by Dutch authorities.

DARES has been represented at the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) since 2005.

[edit] New Zealand

In New Zealand the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters provides the AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (formerly Amateur Radio Emergency Corps) in the role. They won the New Zealand National Search and Rescue award in 2001 for their long commitment to Search and Rescue in NZ.

[edit] Trinidad and Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Emergency Amateur Radio Service (EARS) is a non profit organization registration number E 1772{95} and is part of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio League TTARL. They coordinate emergency communications activities within its membership and others who wish to volunteer with EARS in times of emergency. The Office of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM) is actively involved in amateur radio and maintains an active amateur radio station and five repeaters.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom Radio Amateurs Emergency Network (RAYNET) provides the organizational backbone of their amateur radio emergency communications groups. It was formed in 1953 in the aftermath of the North Sea flood of 1953.

[edit] United States of America

In the United States, there are two major methods of organizing amateur radio emergency communications: the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), an organization of amateur operators sponsored by the ARRL; and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), a radio service regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. RACES requires registration with a local civil defense organization, to allow continued operation under Part 97.407^[1] of the FCC regulations in the event the Amateur Service is ever shut down by presidential order. ARES and RACES involvement within the same area are usually intertwined, with many governments requiring membership and service in that locale's ARES organization as well. Many government Emergency Operations Centers, Red Cross Chapters and National Weather Service facilities have permanent Amateur Radio stations installed.

Radio clubs independent of the ARRL and ARES also participate in emergency communications activities in some areas, and some non-radio organizations have their own amateur arm. The Department of Defense sponsors the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) program which utilizes Amateur Radio operators for emergency communication using military radio frequencies. The National Weather Service Skywarn weather-spotter program has a strong amateur radio contingent. And amateurs dedicated to the Salvation Army are organized under their Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network program.

Emergency communications and disaster assistance is usually done in conjunction with volunteer disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, local government emergency management agencies, as well as volunteer fire departments and ambulance corps.

The ARRL has memoranda of understanding with numerous agencies expected to receive services^[2], including the American Red Cross and Salvation Army and is a partner in the Citizen Corps program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The ARRL also is a member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) and conducts emergency communications certification courses for interested Amateur Radio operators.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• ARRL Backgrounder: Amateur Radio Emergency Communication
• Navy-Marine Corp MARS with links to Air Force and Army programs
• Disaster Communications Service ( DCS )