|
On-The-Go Radio
How GMRS And FRS Radio Helped In Last Fall’s by Alan Dixon, N3HOE / WPUC720 / KST8678 |
||
|
|
Mockup of an SWARL callsign certificate. (Courtesy of SWARL) |
|
|
Southern California’s CREST REACT Team President, Ed Greany, KB6DOL/KAD6554, reports on assistance provided to the American Red Cross by his team during the historic, devastating California wildfires this past fall season. CREST REACT coordinated with COMPUPAC REACT, San Gabriel Valley REACT, Saddleback REACT, and Seacoast REACT; all component teams of the massive Southern California REACT Council. REACT has a healthy and extremely active group of operations in this part of the country, and their call to action during this crisis demonstrates their high level of readiness and service. Here is Ed’s report: I was the person coordinating efforts by REACT on both GMRS and ham radio to assist the Red Cross Chapter in San Bernardino with communications to their Shelter at Norton International Airfield. We REACTers worked side by side with the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club in a mutual communications partnership. After awhile, it worked very well. We were first summoned by Chapter Ops personnel with a frantic plea. They had no communications with the Shelter. We had some “misunderstandings” at the Ontario operation with four shelters when the RACES group refused to allow any communicators other than ham radio operators to assist. While CREST REACT is an ARRL-affiliated club, not all of our members are hams, but many are licensed GMRS operators and all are excellent radio communicators. We primarily use GMRS and have a sophisticated repeater system backing us. Upon explaining to Chapter personnel that we use GMRS and ham radio but not either one exclusively, we were told they didn’t care—they just need communications. Apparently, the amateur 2-meter radios with a repeater in Crestline were not able to communicate to Chapter due to being inside a large metal hangar being used as a shelter at the airbase. Simplex was out of the question due to the distance involved. With that, we immediately put the call out and in a short period of time, had a GMRS base station set up in the Chapter Radio Room and also at the Shelter using the Heaps Peak Repeater in Big Bear. Even though Edison turned off power to the mountain, our repeater maintained continuous duty with its backup generator. We also installed our portable GMRS repeater at the Chapter just for a little communications insurance. After several days’ duty it never was required, but it was comforting knowing it was right there ready at the flip of a switch. FRS was also used both in the Shelter and in the Chapter with our Radio Room monitoring FRS for calls. This is the first time I have seen FRS used in a professional disaster situation, and it worked excellently. In another situation, members of CREST REACT may be been responsible for interrupting an arsonist starting a fire. We captured his license plate number as his car sped away and found the bottle of gasoline with a sock to show the Sheriff when he was summoned. REACT members were given a “high five” from the Red Cross for our communications success and are welcome back with open arms, ham tickets or not. Ham Radio often receives credit for efforts of amateurs in disaster situations, but there are many others who volunteer (particularly licensed GMRS operators—A.D.) and never seem to be noticed by the public eye.
Excellent report, Ed, and we here at Pop’Comm
are always working to promote visibility of Personal Radio Service
operators, especially GMRS licensees, experienced CB radio monitors, and
sideband net members, in emergency operations. Naturally, joining a local
REACT team is one very good way for our readers to become personally
involved in volunteer emergency and disaster communications response. |
||
