ARLA/CLUSTER: As Comunicações de Emergência e os Radioamadores.

[João Gonçalves Costa]

Emergency Communications and amateur radio

The IARU Region 3 Newsletter describes this as a period of many natural disasters. Heavy rains and flooding caused widespread destruction in Thailand, areas of The Philippines experienced heavy flooding and Christchurch was hit by yet another earthquake.

The IARU Region 3 Chairman, Michael Owen VK3KI, said once again radio amateurs provided emergency communications to assist authorities in the relief and rescue efforts.

One of the things that remain in his mind from the Region 1 Conference and the GAREC meeting in Sun City, South Africa in August 2011 is IARU Region 3 Secretary Ken Yamamoto's presentation on the radio amateur contributions following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011.

The 15th IARU Region 3 Conference is planned to commence on 5th November this year, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. When the Directors discussed the Conference arrangements last year, they agreed to suggest to the Conference that its theme be emergency communications.

The Directors think that a theme may ensure that the Conference is able to reach useful and meaningful conclusions by focusing a particular, current and relevant issue.

Of course, for that to work, said Michael VK3KI we need to tell our member societies what is in mind so they can prepare contributions around that theme.

But what sort of matters could be considered? One is that in different countries, indeed in different regions within countries, the role of radio amateurs in formal emergency structures may be very different, and so the nature of the preparedness may be very different too.

But how much integration into formal emergency structures is there? How much is the radio amateur contribution ad hoc?

What have we learnt from the events of the past few years? Can we prepare better? Is the provision of emergency communications really a local matter or should we look to common international procedures, for example?

We all know that at WRC 03 when Article 25 was reviewed, a new provision, Article 25.9A was inserted, saying ?Administrations are encouraged to take the necessary steps to allow amateur stations to prepare for and meet communication needs in support of disaster relief.?

Many of us thought that the words 'to prepare for' were particularly important, as practices were to be encouraged. But is that right? Is there a role for international communications in some situations? Are we prepared to provide that?

Do national regulations in some countries still inhibit radio amateurs preparing for and providing emergency communications?

In short, the Directors are inviting the member societies, based on their own experience, to look at the role of radio amateurs in providing emergency communications and identify both our strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully identify what steps can be taken to improve the effectiveness of what we can do.

We know that many radio amateurs in many places have contributed much in emergency situations. But can we improve what we can do? If so, how?

Newsletter Issue 24 PDF version available at
http://www.iaru-r3.org/news/r3nl-12-01.pdf


Jim Linton VK3PC
Chairman,
IARU Region 3,
Disaster Communication Committee.

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