Publishing date:
This article was originally published: November 19, 2014
Amateur radio could save lives in times of emergency:
Ham Radio operators (Hams are government licensed radio amateurs) can help save lives in times of crisis!
Although this video is meant for the American (US) population, it applies also to other nations.
Even for the Netherlands where I live and where the government is not very serious about amateur radio and emergency, although there is an amateur radio emergency service called Dares.
While in the Netherlands there is just a good example, that’s the flood disaster in 1953 where 1836 people lost their lives and where Hams provided the communication, because all existing communication did not longer worked.
“That was long ago,” you will say, but right now in the digital age with the smartphones and cable TV/Phone is backup by licensed radio amateurs very handy!
What if all communication systems including the power supply suddenly fails, for example, by a flood again?
The wireless telephony service stops when the power supply goes out and wireless telephone transmitter-masts are standing in the water.
While Hams with a battery operated transceiver can continue making (emergency) connections!
Source: 23 ABC News | KERO
