Be a HAM — your county needs you

On Monday, Aug. 22, the bimonthly meeting of The West Olympic Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Group was held in Clallam Bay at the firehouse. This group is a joint effort of Emergency Management, health care and volunteer personnel from Kitsap and Clallam counties. There are Department of Corrections personnel, fire department personnel, health care professionals from various levels and departments of our hospitals and care centers, the Red Cross, Clallam County Emergency Management and volunteers that include amateur (ham) radio operators.

September 1, 2016 1:30 am

On Monday, Aug. 22, the bimonthly meeting of The West Olympic Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Group was held in Clallam Bay at the firehouse. This group is a joint effort of Emergency Management, health care and volunteer personnel from Kitsap and Clallam counties. There are Department of Corrections personnel, fire department personnel, health care professionals from various levels and departments of our hospitals and care centers, the Red Cross, Clallam County Emergency Management and volunteers that include amateur (ham) radio operators.

As we met yesterday, the discussion started out asking questions about the Cascadia Rising event and the “After Action Report” that was being given at another meeting in Port Angeles. One of the top three items discussed was communication and the need for more volunteer personnel.

I am sending the schedule for the next Amateur Radio Licensing classes and testing. The classes are on three consecutive weekends beginning in October and going into the first two weekends of November. The classes are free but the course material is a book for each level from the ARRL that has a cost and there is a testing fee of $15. For those who have heard about ham radio before, there is no code requirement anymore so you and Mr. Morse don’t have to become friends.

If you are afraid of the radio or think it’s too hard to learn, know that there are school children who have radio clubs at schools all over the country. There are operators as young as 5 years old. Also, know that there are a couple of us here in town that will help you learn the material if you need help. Amateur radio is a great hobby that allows you to talk to people all over the world, in places you probably never heard of. There are a lot of advantages to the amateur radio hobby and obviously, your community can use your help by using it, too. Give it some thought and see how far you can go with it.

Amateur Radio Instruction and Testing Session

Saturdays from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and 12

The test will be held at 1 p.m. at the firehouse at Fifth and Laurel streets in Port Angeles.

The class is free!

Joe Wright

Forks