PEMA to Participate in Public Demonstration of Emergency Communications

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Staff and volunteers with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency's (PEMA) Auxiliary Communications Service will be demonstrating the commonwealth's amateur radio capabilities during an annual "Field Day" at PEMA headquarters near Harrisburg.

The public is invited to observe the activities, which will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28 and end at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 29 at 2605 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Field Day is the climax of the week-long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (AARL), the national association for amateur radio.

Pennsylvania is home to 25,515 licensed amateur radio operators, often called "hams." Many of them provide backup communications for emergency responders throughout the state. Using the call sign "K3P" for this event, PEMA's Auxiliary Communications Service will join with thousands of others amateur radio operators showing their emergency capabilities.

Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, "When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works" is more than just words to the "hams" as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised during a crisis.

Amateur radio is growing in the US. There are now over 700,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. To learn more about amateur radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org.  

Media contact:
Ruth A. Miller: 717-651-2161; [email protected]

SOURCE Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

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