940 BC: EmComm

A few days ago it started getting really cold and one local community suffered a power outage.

I was in the car on the way to work; listening to the 940 Breakfast Club. The usual rag chew was well underway when a lady's voice could barely be heard coming through the repeater. She sounded pathetic and was asking about the power outage. She was on her husband's radio. He was at work, but she knew he used it to get info on the weather. (I don't know it was an HT or if he had something more sophisticated setup in case they lost power.)

The guys quickly decided this could be considered EmComm traffic, since it was so cold. One ham dropped off to call the power company to get some info. Another offered to drop by her husband's work. Others offered to make phone calls for her. She said she was okay - in fact she went to check on some elderly neighbors.

While there may be some doubt about this meeting the standard for emergency traffic, I think everyone made the right decision to err on the side of caution. It also was amazing to see how quickly everyone adjusted to the situation and offered help. Providing aid is part of the mission of ham radio. You hear about it during large disasters like in Hati, but I think it happens a lot more on a smaller scale.