KENT- The final weekend in June is a hectic one for Putnam ham radio operators who are participating in the National Field Day for Amateur Radio enthusiasts at the Putnam County Park in Kent.
Starting Saturday and continuing today members of PEARL (Putnam Emergency and Amateur Repeater League) join their colleagues around the globe by contacting others with a display of their emergency communications capabilities.
PEARL was founded in 1978 by a group of licensed amateur radio operators to provide emergency communications for the Putnam Office of Emergency Management.
Diana Ahrens, Chairman of the Putnam Emergency and Amateur Repeater League, noted in the past year, “Ham radio people made headlines with their work covering wildfires, floods, storms, tornadoes and other crises by providing communications for a variety of governmental and civic organizations.”
Ahrens added that “hams also provided supplemental communication when normal systems were rendered inoperable or overloaded. Like most of our communities, Putnam doesn’t expect a major crisis but such situations occur and by losing communications, an emergency can turn into a major disaster within minutes.”
Ahrens said her group’s goals were to “encourage and support public service while educating and training future amateurs; establishing a constant blanket coverage for commuters while enjoying friendship and life.”
Additional information is available by calling 845- 520- 6354 or clicking
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