Emergency Communications

Emergency Radio Work

Three local women are being honored for their service to the community. One of them, Belle Dyer, KB1NOG, has been an active member of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club for the last three years. She will be among a hundred women from around the state to be honored in a ceremony and reception at the Boston Statehouse on May 13.

According to an article appearing on the front page of the Greenfield Recorder, April 7, 2009:
"Belle" Dyer, a registered nurse, "touched many lives while employed in the private sector," according to the Colrain Board of Selectmen, who nominated her for the award; but she has also volunteered for many community agencies as well.

Dyer served on the town's Board of Health for a dozen years, and, as a certified instructor, provided free, yearly training in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid to the town's fire and police departments.

Dyer has been an emergency medical technician with the Colrain Volunteer Ambulance Association for 20 years. "Her sense of compassion and genuine concern has been a great asset to those individuals (who required) her services, " the selectmen wrote. As a state EMT examiner, she has also mentored those striving to pass EMT exams.

Dyer, 73, is also a member of Franklin County's Emergency Medical Services Committee, Western Massachusetts Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Community Emergency Response Team and Medical Reserve Corps. She is also a ham radio operator.

"Belle's value to the community at large will no doubt be felt after she no longer provided these services, " the board said in their nomination. "Simply put, there will be an empty place at our community table."

Also mentioned in the same Recorder article were Rosie Heidkamp of Wendell and Doris Olson of Orange

On December 12, 2008, an ice storm hit cities and towns in western Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Over a dozen members of the Franklin County Radio Club and ARES helped provide communications to shelters in Heath, Gardner, and Warwick. Story

The March 2009 issue of CQ magazine has a Public Service story with more details of amateur radio service during this storm.

Providing communications in an emergency is more than the willingness to drop routine activities to go out in bad weather to work in sometimes difficult or even dangerous conditions. It also requires preparation and training. ARES net sessions on the KB1KSS and other repeaters provide regular practice using emergency net procedure and the chance to check equipment. See the Net Schedule for nets conducted in the area.

In the fall of 2008, members of FCARC participated with other hams in two drills offering the chance to work with public service employees in Conway and Sunderland. The drill scenario was the door to door distribution of a simulated emergency medication. Hams provided the back up communications for the vehicles used by the distribution teams. Story

Throughout the year the club also provides back-up operators for a number of road races and other public events.

Experienced members of the FCARC help advise newer members on the best choice of equipmentl for portable use, and assistance, where needed, in training for the use of the equipment.

In the last two years, several of us have set up packet radio stations in response to encouragement from the ARRL for all emergency teams to create the connections to the WINLINK system.

Other Resources

FCARC home Website change log.