Click Here to see pictures from Field Day 2009
Each year during the last week of June members of the Radio Association of Erie put their emergency communication skills to the test when they participate in “Field Day”. The annual preparedness exercise brings together Amateur Radio operators from throughout North and South America who are committed to assisting their communities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for Amateur Radio, sponsors Field Day.
“Amateur Radio is a lot of fun, but the serious side can’t be stressed enough,” says John Lis, RAE Club President. “We play a vital communications role during emergencies, and events such as Field Day ensure that we’re ready to handle any type of disaster.”
Field Day is designed to test operators’ abilities to set up and operate stations in the field under emergency conditions, such as the loss of commercial electricity. During the weekend, radio operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations as possible, simulating the fast on-air skills needed to assist town officials and served agencies during an emergency. Approximately 35,000 Amateur Radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event. The first Field Day was held in 1933.
Ham radio operators typically help with communication during weather-related emergencies such as the devastating tornadoes in the Midwest earlier this spring. But, the need for their services doesn’t stop there. A federal grant awarded for emergency communications training in 2002 emphasizes support for ham radio’s role in homeland defense.
Today there are nearly 700,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide.
Click Here to see a couple of pictures that were taken at the 2008 Field Day event!
