TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 09.26 DATE: June 28, 2009
SUBJECT: FIELD DAY - WORST CASE SCENARIO
For the past few weeks, Field Day has been the top subject for many Amateur Radio operators. I classify Field Day as a Worst Case Scenario.
During a normal emergency communication activity, there won't be that much communications equipment setup, like there is during Field Day. Most of the time if communications groups, which are involved with providing additional and back-up communications, that much equipment won't be needed.
Three, four, or five High Frequency radios, the same amount of shelters, masses of antennas, generators, and several other pieces of equipment, would seldom be used. Only in a very large scale disaster, such as a world war, would this much equipment need to be set up at one location.
The purpose of Field Day is to allow us to try as much of our equipment as possible to make sure that it works, and that we know how to set it up and operate it. Most of the time only a few pieces of the equipment will be used at any activity, but different pieces of equipment may be used by another type of activity. All of your communications equipment should be tested at least once a year, and Field Day is just that time of the year.
So if you were wondering why a communications group would have every piece of their equipment at a non-emergency activity, now you know.
If we ever have to use all of the equipment that's used at Field Day, for an actual emergency, you can bet that everyone is having a problem, and a bad day, and that it's a Worst Case Scenario.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator