|
December 21, 2007
Little Rock -- The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) plans to rely on a statewide network of amateur radio operators to help out in a crisis, and plans to offer training and certification classes to provide volunteers with the training they need to become proficient in emergency communications.
Training needed to receive a Technician Class Amateur Radio License will be offered via the ADH Video Conference Network, and will be broadcast to thirteen hospital classrooms around the state. Students will have two full days of instruction, followed by a licensing exam at the end of the second day. The program will be offered in cooperation with the Arkansas Amateur Radio Emergency Service (AARES) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). The purpose of this class is to increase the number of available communications volunteers for emergency response agencies around Arkansas. There is no charge for the class, however there is a $14 fee required by FCC regulations for taking the license exam. The fee will be collected by the examination team at the time the exam is given. There are no age limits for participation in the program.
Donnie Smith, Director of the ADH Center for Health Protection says that the state will need a well-organized corps of volunteers to provide a wide range of services when disaster strikes. “The time to do the training and organizing is now,” Smith says.
Recent experiences in large-scale disasters like Hurricane Katrina have shown that many of the communications tools we use every day may not work when we need them the most. Because television cables, power lines and telephone lines could be down, and mobile channels clogged beyond capacity, emergency responders may be depending on a large network that is sometimes overlooked, but standing ready to help: the amateur radio operator, or “ham.”
Although the network has declined slightly over the years, there are still 722,382 amateur radio operators in the United States today, according to the most recent Federal Communications Commission statistics. In Arkansas there are over 7700 as reported by Hamdata, an independent industry organization.
According to John Nordlund, Tactical Communications Assistant Coordinator, Hospital Preparedness and Response at the ADH, “Amateur radio is a fabulous way for people to explore the cutting edge of communication technology while making friends in the community and around the world, and also providing essential communications service to your local community in times of disaster.”
The class will be broadcast to the following locations on January 12 and 19, 2008:
| Johnson Regional Medical Center, 1100 E. Poplar St., Clarksville |
| Conway Regional Health System, 2302 College Avenue, Conway |
| White County Medical Center. 3214 East Race Avenue, Searcy |
| White River Health System. 1710 Harrison Street, Batesville |
| Baxter Regional Medical Center, 624 Hospital Drive, Mountain Home |
| St Bernard's Healthcare. 225 E. Jackson, Jonesboro |
| Cross Ridge Community Hospital. 310 South Falls Blvd, Wynne |
| Stuttgart Regional Medical Center. 1703 N. Buerkle Rd. Stuttgart |
| Ashley County Medical Center. 1015 Unity Rd, Crossett |
| St Joseph's Mercy Health Center. 300 Werner St. Hot Springs |
| Magnolia Hospital. 101 Hospital Drive, Magnolia |
| Washington Regional Med Center. 3215 N North Hills Blvd. Fayetteville |
| Arkansas Dept of Health Auditorium. 4815 West Markham, Little Rock |
Class will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with time out for breaks and lunch. The FCC radio license exams will be given following class at 3:30 PM on the 19th. Seating may be limited at some locations.
The study text for the class is available in a PDF document and can be emailed to any persons planning to attend the class.
Persons who would like more information, or to reserve a seat in class may contact:
John Nordlund - AD5FU
Tactical Communications Assistant Coordinator,
CHP Preparedness and Response,
Arkansas Department of Health
(501) 658-4839 - John.Nordlund@arkansas.gov
(501) 888-3365 - jnordlund@earthlink.net
(501) 801-0652 - JohnNordlund@decraneaerospace.com
### |
