Ham Radio Enthusiasts On the Air in Times of Disaster:

Curt Hadley plugged into the world of amateur radio five years ago as part of his strategy to be better prepared in emergencies. The capability of transmitting and receiving broadcasts with modest equipment had him hooked. Ham radios, he says, are often the only means of communication during a catastrophic event. Employing wireless transmitters and a wide frequency spectrum, ham radio operators are able to establish vital communication between emergency teams and the public using their own equipment, knowledge, skills and training. Earthquakes, floods, storms and wildfires can render other modes of communication inoperable. Emergency communications between police, fire, ambulance and search-and-rescue teams via radio, telephone or computer may grind to a halt because of system overload, power outages, damage to lines and cell towers or the remoteness of victims. In rural parts of the Rogue Valley, where many residents live off the grid or have spotty cellphone coverage, a ham radio may be the only reliable means of communication. Like Hadley, many of the 700 to 800 licensed amateur radio operators in the Rogue Valley area belong to Jackson County Amateur Radio Emergency Services to provide communications when disaster strikes.

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