What If…. our region lost power, cell coverage, internet, landline?
A catastrophic earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone could result in failure to our communications infrastructure. Ham radio has a long and distinguished history of providing communities with life saving communications when needed the most. Pierce County District 5 Amateur Radio Emergency Services(ARES) provides backup and supplementary communications when requested by our served agencies. ARES members participate with Pierce County District 5 ARES, including statewide drills that occur 4 times a year.
Pierce County “ARES”
For more general information about ARES, visit: Pierce County WA Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) (piercecountyares.net)
Amateur Radio Email
Getting word to loved ones during an emergency is critical. Amateur Radio provides a service called “Winlink” which enables connectivity to an email server using ham radio. This “RF” interface enables hams to send email to any location in the world where the internet is still available. Island hams check their equipment weekly to verify this capability is functioning and available should the need arise.
What is Winlink Email?
- Worldwide System of sending email via ham radio
- Provides email from almost anywhere in the world
- Provides vital support for 10,000+ sailors
- Adopted for contingency communications by many government agencies
- Used by organizations such as the International and American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, FedEx and many more.