South San Francisco, CA June 17, 2018 Submitted by Sandra and Steve Firpo
As we’ve seen in Florida and Puerto Rico, the use of Amateur Radio – or HAM – is a vital tool to maintaining communications in disaster situations when phone lines and cell towers are jammed, or non-existent.
HAM Radio operators are licensed by the FCC and are volunteers. While Amateur Radio technology is vintage, high-tech is also used by HAMs to search out and communicate with fellow HAM Radio operators all around the world. Yet, HAM Radio can provide crucial communications without relying on the Internet, the Cloud, or electricity!
Every year, the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) hosts an event called FIELD DAY – a “friendly competition” where HAMs throughout North America test their skills to be ready to assist in the event of a local or state-wide emergency, and compete to make as many contacts as possible in 24-hours.
The South San Francisco Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has a HAM Radio Team participating in Field Day. As part of our Field Day event, we are hosting an Open House, inviting the public and local law-makers to learn more about Amateur Radio, its place in Emergency Preparedness, and as a fun and popular hobby. It is continuing to grow, up from 727,000 in 2015 to now over 800,000.
We invite everyone to visit us and watch your HAMs in action, view a display of Amateur Radio in the U.S., learn about the role of HAMs in disaster situations, find out why these HAMs are also CERT members, and enjoy some refreshments. Plenty of audio, video and photo opportunities!
Saturday, June 23rd anytime between 1 PM and 4 PM
South San Francisco Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
SSF Fire Station 61
480 N. Canal Street (cross street: Spruce Ave.)
South San Francisco, CA 94080