Why is Amateur Radio involved in Emergency Communications?
The role of Amateur Radio in providing emergency communications is becoming more widely recognised through our abilities to quickly build message passing networks when conventional systems are overwhelmed or non-existent. A number of Emergency Communications Groups have been created, either as part of their IARU Representative Society or as independent groups (see the list of Region 1 local Co-Ordinators here).
There is more to be done to raise awareness with those societies and countries where emergency communications groups do not exist, and more established groups can still learn by sharing information with others.
Terms of Reference
The IARU supports Emergency Communications Co-Ordinators in each of their three regions.
The Terms of Reference for the Region 1 Co-Ordinator can be found here.
Contact
The current Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator is Greg Mossop, G0DUB.
For more information…
Click HERE.
News
- Amateur Radio alert for Caribbean Hurricane Beryl
- Mexico completes hurricane response activities.
- Mexico requests clear frequencies for hurricane response.
- Morocco Earthquake 8 September 2023
- Türkiye Earthquake 6/February/2023
Events
- October 2019 — ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Month
- June 26 2020 — IARU Emergency Communications Meeting at Friedrichshafen.
Documents
Links/references
ITU Radio Regulations Article 25 (PDF)
ITU Recommendation M.1042 recommending that;
1 that administrations encourage the development of amateur service and amateur-satellite service networks capable of providing radiocommunications in the event of natural disasters;
2 that such networks be robust, flexible and independent of other telecommunications services and capable of operating from emergency power;
3 that amateur organizations be encouraged to promote the design of robust systems capable of providing radiocommunications during disasters and relief operations.
ITU‑D Recommendation 13.1 recommending that;
1 that administrations should include the amateur services in their national disaster plans and telecommunication assistance information inventories;
2 that administrations should reduce and remove barriers to the effective utilization of the amateur services for disaster communications and related training activities;
3 that amateur and disaster relief organizations and providers of emergency response develop memoranda of understanding (MoU) between themselves and with administrations as well as to cooperate, together with other concerned parties, in developing and making available model agreements and best practices in disaster telecommunications.