Ham operators will participate in a national exercise

Staff report

NORTH LIMA

The Western Reserve Amateur Radio Club radio amateurs, also known as ham operators, will participate in a national emergency communications preparedness exercise June 25 and 26 at Youngstown Elser Metro Airport, 10800 Sharrott Road. It will begin at 2 p.m. June 25 and operate for up to 24 hours.

The public is invited to see modern amateur radio technology in action. Club members will be available to answer questions and provide literature.

The exercise, known as Field Day, has been acknowledged by a proclamation by Gov. John Kasich and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor as Amateur Radio Operators Appreciation Days. The proclamation recognizes the vital role of radio operators on a local, statewide, national and international basis. Local ham operators have provided communications resources for the Panerathon, as well as assisting the American Red Cross, FEMA and the International Space Station.

Field Day is the end of a weeklong Amateur Radio Week sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio. In an emergency, ham operators construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards, often using only emergency power supplies. Their slogan is “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works.”

More than 43,000 operators across the country participated in last year’s event. There are more than 736,000 licensed amateurs in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, volunteers provide emergency communication for thousands of emergency response agencies and non-emergency communications services to a wide variety of community organizations, all without cost to the public.

For information, contact Steve Fabry at 330-774-6346 or KC8SOY@yahoo.com. Do not call the airport.