 Amateur Radio: Your Resource in Disaster and Emergency Communication
Posted by9w2pck on Thursday, February 26 @ 17:11:34 MYT
Contributed by Anonymous
WORLD
AMATEUR RADIO DAY 2009
Amateur Radio: Your Resource in Disaster and Emergency Communication
Each year
on 18 April, radio amateurs celebrate World Amateur Radio Day. On that day in
1925 the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was founded. In 2009, the
theme of the event is Amateur Radio: Your Resource in Disaster and Emergency
Communication.
It is not
by coincidence that last year’s meeting of the IARU Administrative Council chose
this subject at this time. While the Amateur Radio Service has traditionally
made its contributions to emergency and disaster response ever since its very
beginnings almost 100 years ago, this role has gained a lot of importance just
in the recent past. It has done so mainly for two reasons:
-
The
number and dimension of natural as well as man-made disasters is
unfortunately on the increase, and
-
The
modern communication technologies are increasingly complex,
infrastructure-dependent and therefore also increasingly vulnerable.
The
Amateur Radio Services puts two equally valuable assets at its disposal for
emergency and disaster prevention, preparedness and response:
-
A
large number of very flexible and mostly infrastructure-independent, local,
national, regional and global networks, and
-
A
large number of skilled operators, who know how to communicate with often
very limited means and to establish communications even under the most
difficult cir*****stances.
The tools
at their disposal range from the most robust means such as battery-operated
stations operating in Morse code to links through amateur radio satellites and
interconnectivity with the Internet, in voice, text, image and data modes. They
range from local VHF networks of fixed, mobile and portable stations to
shortwave networks that span the globe. All these networks are operated on a
daily basis by men and women who are thoroughly familiar with their technology
and their intricacies.
Telecommunications have become a commodity that society takes for granted, and
the sudden loss of that service is often felt in a similar way to the loss of
shelter, food and medical support. When disasters occur in regions that do not
have good coverage by public networks, or when existing communications
infrastructures have just been disrupted or destroyed by such events, the
Amateur Radio Service comes to the rescue. Amateur Radio operators provide
communications for the rescuers and relief workers and their organizations and
they help to provide communications for those affected by a disaster.
In fact,
contributions to emergency and disaster relief are a major argument for the
preservation and the extension of the privileges the Amateur Radio Service
enjoys in international and national regulations. This is one of the reasons why
more and more Amateur Radio operators, through their clubs and their national
societies, prepare very seriously for their role in emergencies. However, their
skills can be put to use only if they are known by other first responders.
Effective response to emergencies can only occur with the work of volunteers in
all the various fields; from search and rescue to medical assistance and those
who can provide food and shelter. Communication skills are a new, but equally
vital commodity.
Activities
on the occasion of World Amateur Radio Day 2009 can be a great
opportunity to spread the word about what the “hams” are doing.
28 January
2009
Hans
Zimmermann, F5VKP / HB9AQS
IARU International Coordinator
for Emergency Communications
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