Today’s Word of the Day focuses on perhaps the most practical and valuable aspect of Ham Radio—EMCOMM, or emergency communications. When disasters strike and normal lines of communications become disabled, trained and well-equipped EMCOMM operators take to the airwaves to relay critical information about the extent of damage, supplies that are needed, and news to family members about who made it through okay. As we like to say, when all else fails, Ham Radio is there to save the day. If you’re relatively new to the hobby and want to serve the public in times of crisis, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Here are links to a few of the volunteer emergency organizations that are popular in the Ham Radio community.
- ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service®
- RACES, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
- SATERN, Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
- REACT International, Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams
- CERT, Community Emergency Response Team
- SKYWARN®, a collection of trained weather spotters. SKYWARN was established by the National Weather Service
DX Engineering salutes all operators who give their time and talents to serve their communities, whether relaying information after a local tornado or providing life-saving communication after a major disaster affecting thousands. Click here for details of Ham operator efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. Is it time to upgrade your emergency Go-Kit? Find what you need at DX Engineering. Or contact one of our Elmers at Elmer@DXEngineering.com.
