Disaster & Emergency Communications Information
Why use Amateur Radio? The answer is simple and obvious, and it’s because amateur radio equipment is independent of commercial radio services like telephones, cell phones, and even Police, Fire, and EMS service radio services, which are very limited in frequency and interoperability. Ham radio (Amateur Radio) is inherently frequency agile and readily portable, thus it is ideal for emergency dependability. Many hams are able to pick up and go, and set up communications on a moment's notice from almost anywhere. Many do just that for the enjoyment of it. You'll see hams in the parks and around towns providing supporting communications for public events like parades, marathon runs, etc. Such events are easy practice for hams, yet major events like the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon critically depend on them because hams get the job done.When a disaster strikes, having communication breakdowns or sporadic, unreliable communications can seem to be just as much or more devastating than the actual disaster itself.