Amateur Radio Emergency Communication

What do Amateur Radio operators do during and after disasters?

Amateur Radio operators set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster. Amateur Radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of communications due to power outages and destruction of telephone, cellular and other infrastructure-dependent systems.

How do Amateur Radio operators help local officials?

Many radio amateurs are active as communications volunteers with local public safety organizations. In addition, in some disasters, radio frequencies are not coordinated among relief officials and Amateur Radio operators step in to coordinate communication when radio towers and other elements in the communications infrastructure are damaged.

What are the major Amateur Radio emergency organizations?

Amateur Radio operators have informal and formal groups to coordinate communication during emergencies. At the local level, hams may participate in local emergency organizations, or organize local "traffic nets" using VHF (very high frequencies) and UHF (ultra high frequencies). At the state level, hams are often involved with state emergency management operations. In addition, hams operate at the national level through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), which is coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), which is coordinated through the American Radio Relay League and its field volunteers. In addition, addition, many hams are involved in Skywarn, operating under the National Weather Service.

Is Amateur Radio recognized as a resource by national relief organizations?

Many national organizations have formal agreements with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other Amateur Radio groups including:

Department of Homeland Security -- Citizen Corps
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Communications System
American Red Cross
Salvation Army
National Weather Service
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials

What are some examples of emergencies involving Amateur Radio?

Hurricanes Bonnie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in Florida -- 2004
Severe weather in Virginia -- May 2004
Tornadoes in Illinois -- April 2004
Amtrak train accident in Mississippi -- April 2004
Earthquake in Central California -- December 2003
Hurricane Isabel -- September 2003
Northeast blackout -- August 2003
Midwest tornadoes -- May 2003
Shuttle Columbia recovery effort -- February 2003
Wildfires in Colorado -- June 2002
Tornado in Maryland -- April 2002
Flooding in Kentucky -- March 2002
World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks -- September 2001
Flooding in Texas and Louisiana (Storm Allison) -- June 2001
Earthquake in India -- January 2001
Earthquake in El Salvador -- January 2001
Ice storms in Southwest -- December 2000
Tornado in Alabama -- December 2000
Avalanche in Alaska -- March 2000
Fires in Los Alamos, New Mexico -- May 2000
Hurricane Floyd -- September 1999
Tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas -- May 1999
Colombian Earthquake -- January 1999
Tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee -- January 1999
Hurricane Mitch in Central America -- November 1998
Flooding in Texas -- October 1998
Hurricane Georges -- September 1998
Tornadoes in Florida -- February 1998
"500-Year Flood," Grand Forks, N.D., and East Grand Forks, Minn. - April 1997
Western U.S. floods - January 1997
Hurricane Fran - September 1996
TWA plane crash - July 1996
Oklahoma City Bombing - April 1995

This information was obtained from the ARRL web site.