Editor:
Many folk will have seen the excellent news clip on CBC News this past week regarding the use of ham radio during emergency situations.
The clip reinforced what we ham operators are all about and that is in emergencies we can provide communications by various methods to ensure that urgent traffic flows to where it is required.
The recent “SUPER SANDY” storm saw hundreds of cell phone towers destroyed thus causing total shutdowns in the use of these devices.
This inevitably caused chaos for all the various utilities that needed communication.
Quesnel is fortunate to have a small team of dedicated ham operators who would step up to the plate if required to assist wherever possible.
Ham operators can provide communications by means of fixed antennas like beams, dipoles and even wires stretched across a garden or road or between trees. In dire circumstances one could take a radio outside, connect it to a battery and operate from that location. Mobile operation is also legally permitted. Amateur radio is recognized worldwide for its ability to provide emergency communications and particularly in the USA which is subject to all types of weather extremes. No other organization has that ability. Locally, we play our part in emergency exercises and have a good rapport with bodies such as the RCMP, fire departments and provincial authorities.
J. Dudley Leather
Emergency communications co-ordinator, Quesnel