For well over 100 Years Amateur Radio Operators have provided emergency communication when disasters strike; Tornadoes, Floods, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Fires and a host of other emergency needs “when all else fails.”
Although there are a myriad of communication tools available such as Cell Phones, the Internet, landlines etc. facts such as the failure of other emergency tools during the Northridge and the recent Humboldt County Earthquake are a testimony of how Amateur Radio fills the emergency communication needs.
In 1952 the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) formed RACES units throughout the US administered by FEMA and a local Civil Defense organized. In the case of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos RACES falls under the administration of the local Police Departments. In Orange County the Sheriff administers a countywide RACES consortium.
Our local RACES Team will be conducting an Earthquake simulation drill on Saturday April 29 beginning at 9:00AM. This is a simple drill requiring strategically located RACES members to provide the local RACES Net Control Operator and the Police Incident Commander a “first view” of any emergency needs throughout the City. The advantage of this is that the neighborhood assessment is a very quick summary of local needs.
RACES members provide their own equipment and volunteer their time weekly with NET Check-Ins and semi-monthly In-Person meetings for additional training and technical subjects.
The tools that RACES members use include Repeating Station, MESH System of repeating NODES some with cameras and Solar Module panels for battery charging and backup, Lap top computers for written instructions and communication links to the emergency radios in hospitals.
Welcome and Thanks For Your Interest
We welcome existing Amateurs, or those who would like to have fun with this hobby (we will show you how to obtain an Amateur Radio Technician license from the FCC) and yet provide community needed communication service to our three communities. For more information just complete the form below.