Emergency Communications

In a regional emergency, like an earthquake or other disturbance, there's a very good chance our communications systems will fail. Experience in other disasters and emergencies tell us that the cell phone system will fail, land line phones (if still connected) will work sporadically at best, and the Internet will generally be inaccessible. There's a good chance the power will fail over significant areas for considerable time -- for days, maybe. And if it's a big earthquake, experts tell us communications and power could be out for many days -- 10 or more. And if it's a really big earthquake, it could be a week or 10 days before any professional help arrives. We could be on our own to take care of ourselves and our neighbors, and that's what CERT is all about.

Wouldn't you like to be able to communicate during an emergency? When all else fails, Amateur Radio still works. With an Amateur Radio Technician's License you will have the ability to communicate with other Hams in the region using the UHF and VHF frequencies commonly used by Hams during disasters. The Los Angeles basin is ringed with repeaters on these frequencies that could link you to the rest of California. And with a Technician's license and a Ham radio and a battery operated computer you could use Winlink2000 or other communication protocols to contact the rest of the world with email and other digital communication.

If you are a member of a CERT team you could become a CERT Ham Radio Operator and help your team and Incident Commander with real time information. Several Ham Radio Operators on a CERT team make you a instant disaster communications system that would be invaluable in effectively managing the situation.

Once you receive your FCC license, you might want to to join the Los Angeles Fire Department's Auxiliary Communications Service -- a group of Hams dedicated to providing emergency communications to the City of Los Angeles, CERT, and the LAFD.

Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn't it? Getting your FCC Technician's License is fun and easy to do. Here's how:

To become a Ham radio operator you need to pass the FCC exam and obtain your FCC Technician Radio Operators license. The Technician License allows you to go on the air using the UHF and VHF Amateur Radio bands commonly used for local contacts and regional emergency communication.

Earning your FCC Technician's License is as simple as passing the 35 question FCC Element One multiple choice written exam. The FCC realizes that Ham Radio Technician Operators are a public safety asset and purposely made the exam uncomplicated. No Morse Code is required. All you need to do is learn some of the FCC rules and regulations and learn a little bit about how radios and repeaters systems work. With a little preparation, many people find the exam easy to pass.

Exams are given by Volunteer Examiners -- local Hams who administer the test as a public service at many local locations. Exams are scheduled frequently -- usually every week. Exam times and places can be found on the American Radio Relay League website http://www.arrl.org.

There are a number of ways to study for the Technician Exam -- Amateur Radio clubs have free classes, classes are available on line, and there a number of excellent self-study books available. My wife and I passed the Technician exam by studying "The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual" on our own a few hours a day for about 10 days and by taking the practice tests we found at http://www.qrz.com -- that's all it took.

You can take the sample tests on line and learn immediately if your answers are correct, and if not, what the correct answer is. You will eventually learn the correct answers to all the questions in the FCC Exam question pool. Many people have passed the exam simply by practicing the sample tests on QRZ.

Most people do very well on the exam by reading the "The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual" published by the Amateur Radio Relay League. It sells for $24.95 and is available from Ham Radio Outlet in Burbank and at other radio supply stores. It's also available on line from the ARRL at: http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9639#top. This well written text is easy to read and contains all the questions available for use on the FCC exam.

Other books you might consider are the "ARRL Tech Q & A - 4th Edition" ( $15.95) and the "Technician Study Manual" by Gordon West ($18.95). Both are available at most radio supply stores, amateur radio stores (Ham Radio Outlet, Jun's Electronics), Radio Shack and on the Internet at either http://www.arrl.org or www.w5yi.org.

The http://www.w5yi.org , http://www.qrz.com and http://arrl.org web sites all contain a wealth of information to help you obtain a license.

I recommend self study and the taking the sample tests. It's inexpensive and you can study at home at your own pace. If there's something you don't understand in the book I may be able to help you with a phone call or two. Leave a comment to this blog entry and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can. If not, there are other highly experienced Hams who are excellent teachers and will be pleased to help -- ask around and you'll find a good one.

When all else fails, Amateur Radio works.

Jonathan Zimmerman
ACS-CERT Liaison
ACS Battalion 14 Communications Unit Leader