It’s Not Magic*
Common thread - connections, communications
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
In the background. What you can’t see are radio waves … and first responders and fire and police and emergency personnel and ham radio enthusiasts, Community Emergency Response Teams (C.E.R.T.) and many more, mostly volunteer.
A common thread runs through all those groups — they are mostly volunteers and they all constantly training and practicing.
For example members of the Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association (ECARA) took part in the annual American Radio Relay League Field Day starting June 27. The group set up radio equipment in a Thompson field and for 24 hours broadcast, checking in with ham radios across the country.
ECARA President John Szamocki said they connect with amateur radios across the country. The scenario they operate under is “All communication is out. There’s no Eversource.” They use battery, solar or generators to connect, to get information around the country. Group members set up temporary antennas and cranked up their own power and connected. “We use the ionosphere (which changes) to see how far we can get” with connections. They’ve connected across the nation and Canada.
The trailer where all the “magic” happens also functions as an emergency operations center for fires, natural disasters, 5k races, parades, community days and more. And the volunteers are training all the time.
For example, Thompson’s Emergency Management Director Steve Benoit talked about the recent fire at Gladys Green. Planning had been done far before that fire took place and the plant worked beautifully, with transportation of the displaced to the Thompson Middle School where everything needed was already on hand.
Szamocki said the ECARA has about 60 members from all walks of life — from retired and current state police to business men, to salespeople to nurses and many more. He said the common denominator is that they enjoy amateur radios as a hobby. “A lot of people are drawn to amateur radios,” he said. He added they also enjoy the challenge — everything from getting their radios and antennae set up to classes, tests, working on getting various licenses.
What follows emergencies is what’s called a “hot wash,” an after-action meeting. Szamocki said the meetings bring out the strong points and the weak areas that need improvement. And, Szamocki said often “communication problems” come up at those meetings.
The 24-hour annual “connections” is just a small part. Training and planning is constant.
“What do Hams Do?” Voice, Morse code, digital computer modes, electronic design and experimentation, emergency and public service communication, national and worldwide contests, military and government liaison and exercises, worldwide friends and fellowship, amateur television, talk to other hams via satellites and Moonbounce, Skywarn weather spotting, talk to astronauts aboard the ISS Space Station, send and receive radiogram traffic and more. For info: ICARA.net.
*It’s Not Magic! The emergency plans and procedures the public thinks just “happen” are the result of hard work and training by unseen volunteers.
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caption, page 4:
Top: The ECARA set up in Thompson --- for 24 hours. Above: Inside the trailer. Front: ECARA President John Szamocki, back left: Thompson Emergency Management Director Steve Benoit, and back right: Terry Johnson, constable and CERT team member. More photos on our FB page on Wed. night. Linda Lemmon photos.
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