Amateur radio operators quietly provide key public service: Many people know that amateur radio operators like to chat. Few realize that the chatter can sometimes save lives. The Wood River Amateur Radio Club, operational for the past 12 years, has helped spread the word about the power of amateur radio as both a hobby and public service. Involvement in amateur radio is becoming more popular--not to mention more accessible--in the Wood River Valley, as the grassroots group hosts training sessions and testing for those interested in getting licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. Commonly referred to as "ham radio," amateur radio boasts the ability of low-power wireless communications worldwide via high-frequency radio waves. For Wood River Valley residents and visitors, the benefits of ham radio are profound. Cellular coverage is spotty at best outside city limits, leaving many people partaking in backcountry recreation without immediate communication in an emergency. "If something goes wrong--a major earthquake, for example--you could be a radio volunteer at a shelter or help with 911 dispatch," said Joe Yelda, public information officer for the amateur radio club. "In a disaster situation, emergency services can be easily overwhelmed. There would be a need for communications people." The dedication of volunteer amateur radio operators was a key component in the organization of emergency responses to Hurricane Katrina and last winter's earthquake in Haiti, as well as the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. While communications via cell phone, land line or the Internet inevitably fail along with the power grid, ham radio is often the only means of coordinating large-scale operations in the wake of tragedy.
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