ARLA/CLUSTER: Em caso de desastres, a perda de serviço por telemovel aumenta a importância dos radioamadores nas emergências.

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Ham radio for disaster communications

Cumberland News (in the US) reports that in disasters the loss of cell
phone service raises the importance of emergency radios

Forty-eight hours into the state of emergency in Houston where a
tropical storm caused massive flooding, a new trouble was emerging:
people couldn’t charge their cell phones.

It seems trivial in face of the rising waters, loss of life and need
to evacuate the city that is home to 2.3 million people, but losing
the ease and convenience of modern cell phone communication is a real
anxiety for many trying to stay in contact with loved ones during an
emergency, Cumberland County Emergency Measures Officer Mike Johnson
explains.

“One of the biggest concerns people have is the ability to recharge
their emergency devices,” Johnson said. “One of the things about our
society today is that we are so connected and when we sever that
connection our normal world goes away.”

“When you have the phones go down and Trunk Mobile Radios go down you
don’t have a lot left,” Johnson said.

Amateur radio, or ham radio, uses a non-commercial radio frequency and
its roots go back to the 19th century. Today, operators can use the
technology to communicate with across the globe and even the
International Space Station and it is those licensed operators who go
into action when a massive communication disruption service occurs.

“We have an incredible group here. It’s the West Cumberland Amateur
Radio Club. They respond by going out and manning the fire
departments,” Johnson said.

Oxford, Tidnish, Amherst. Pugwash and Springhill have ham radio
equipment on site and someday Johnson expects to see the remaining
departments equipped. Until then, operators can bring in equipment.
With the volunteer operators available to man these radios, it frees
up a trained fire fighter to respond to emergencies. A ham operator
himself, Johnson says the radio community is happy to respond during
an emergency.

Read the full story at
http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/community/2017/8/30/disasters--loss-of-cell-service-raise-importance-of-emergency-ra.html

What is Amateur Radio?
http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

You can find a short UK Foundation amateur radio training course near you at
https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/