Hard as it may be to believe, sometimes a few good things can come from a disaster. Take Hurricane Katrina, for example, which brought several amateur ham radio users and emergency personnel together in Sussex County to prepare for the unspeakable.
“It’s not really a question of if it is going to happen,” Sussex County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Emergency Coordinator Bill Duveneck said. “It’s when.”
With September being National Preparedness Month, ARES, along with the Sussex County Civil Air Patrol and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) staged a simulation of a hurricane that hit Delmarva.
If the power goes out, ham radio could be local residents’ savior, as its broadcasts can be sent and received from as far away as Virginia Beach, Va.
“We have high frequency radios, used to communicate from long distances,” Duveneck said. “We can communicate with Virginia, Pennsylvania, even Europe if we had to.
“Also, we have three short-range radios that communicate with the Sussex County [Emergency Operations Center].”
While not in the ham radio business, the Civil Air Patrol certainly has its part to play in the event of an emergency.
Major Warren Knowles, along with Lt. Carl Schirtzinger, showed visitors several different devices that have been built to aid residents in case the unfortunate does occur.
“Our job is to get medical supplies and aid to residents who don’t have any other option,” Knowles explained. “We compliment [amateur radio users] in the event of an emergency.”
Some of the Civil Air Patrol inventions on display show just how far we have come in the few years since Katrina.
Even an Advanced Automated Rescue Craft (AARC), which is a short-duration solar charged marine robot, is an option.
The AARC is used in inland and coastal environments and can be used for search and rescue, swimmer safety and personal survival.
Knowles, however, stressed that while emergency personnel are there to protect everybody, residents should be prepared to fend for themselves as well.
DEMA representative Rosanne Pack agreed with Knowles. Her organization, which consists of around 40 members, is high on resident’s self-preservation.
“If you are prepared for an emergency, that is less people we have to help,” Pack said. “Plus, you can help others as well. The goal is to help as many people as possible,” she continued, “and if people are prepared in advance, it helps us do our jobs.”
Pack suggested several ways for residents to be prepared for an emergency like a hurricane, including having their own survival kit.
Each kit, she said, should have the basic staples of survival – water, non-perishable foods, flashlight and the lot – residents need to remember their pets as well.
“You should be prepared to handle 72 hours during an emergency,” pack said of residents. “That way, we can help the sick and elderly first before moving onto those who are able to take care of themselves.”
“It’s not really a question of if it is going to happen,” Sussex County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Emergency Coordinator Bill Duveneck said. “It’s when.”
With September being National Preparedness Month, ARES, along with the Sussex County Civil Air Patrol and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) staged a simulation of a hurricane that hit Delmarva.
If the power goes out, ham radio could be local residents’ savior, as its broadcasts can be sent and received from as far away as Virginia Beach, Va.
“We have high frequency radios, used to communicate from long distances,” Duveneck said. “We can communicate with Virginia, Pennsylvania, even Europe if we had to.
“Also, we have three short-range radios that communicate with the Sussex County [Emergency Operations Center].”
While not in the ham radio business, the Civil Air Patrol certainly has its part to play in the event of an emergency.
Major Warren Knowles, along with Lt. Carl Schirtzinger, showed visitors several different devices that have been built to aid residents in case the unfortunate does occur.
“Our job is to get medical supplies and aid to residents who don’t have any other option,” Knowles explained. “We compliment [amateur radio users] in the event of an emergency.”
Some of the Civil Air Patrol inventions on display show just how far we have come in the few years since Katrina.
Even an Advanced Automated Rescue Craft (AARC), which is a short-duration solar charged marine robot, is an option.
The AARC is used in inland and coastal environments and can be used for search and rescue, swimmer safety and personal survival.
Knowles, however, stressed that while emergency personnel are there to protect everybody, residents should be prepared to fend for themselves as well.
DEMA representative Rosanne Pack agreed with Knowles. Her organization, which consists of around 40 members, is high on resident’s self-preservation.
“If you are prepared for an emergency, that is less people we have to help,” Pack said. “Plus, you can help others as well. The goal is to help as many people as possible,” she continued, “and if people are prepared in advance, it helps us do our jobs.”
Pack suggested several ways for residents to be prepared for an emergency like a hurricane, including having their own survival kit.
Each kit, she said, should have the basic staples of survival – water, non-perishable foods, flashlight and the lot – residents need to remember their pets as well.
“You should be prepared to handle 72 hours during an emergency,” pack said of residents. “That way, we can help the sick and elderly first before moving onto those who are able to take care of themselves.”
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