When driving through residential neighborhoods, have you ever seen a huge radio tower in someone’s backyard, or a tall vertical antenna on the rooftop of a house? If so, someone living in that home might be an amateur radio (also known as ham radio) operator. Amateur radio operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and with the correct licenses and equipment, they can talk to amateur radio operators in other countries, bounce radio signals off the moon, and sometimes even talk to astronauts.

Some of us, however, engage in less exotic pursuits. You might be wondering why anyone would bother obtaining a license and buying radio equipment in this age of high-speed Internet and ubiquitous cell phones. The answer is that during a disaster, the communications systems that we depend on could overload and even fail. A common saying among amateur radio operators is, “When all else fails, ham radio.”

The good news is, for disaster-related ham radio, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on equipment, nor do you need a 40-foot antenna. For disaster communications, radio frequencies in the VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency) bands are commonly used, and for those, a handheld radio is fine, at least for getting started. You can listen to the radio all you like, but to transmit, you’ll need an FCC license. That means passing a multiple-choice test, but don’t worry; with some study and practice, passing the test on your first attempt is quite doable. Once you are licensed, the FCC will give you a call sign that you will use in your radio communications.

Once you have your license and a radio, consider joining RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. RACES groups consist of volunteer amateur radio operators who function under government agencies. In Fullerton, RACES works closely with CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), which is also a volunteer disaster-response group. RACES and CERT both work under the Fullerton Fire Department, both attend community events that allow them to practice their skills, and they meet in person about once every other month.

If you think you might be interested in either RACES or CERT, please contact the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Fullerton Fire Department, Kristi Hofstetter Batiste, at Kristi.Hofstetterbatiste@fullertonfire.org.

If you are already an amateur radio operator who lives in the Fullerton area, we invite you to join the Fullerton RACES weekly radio nets. Visitors are always welcome, and it is a good chance to check your radio. We have it on Mondays at 7:30 pm on the N6ME repeater (145.400 MHz, PL 103.5).