Ham radio operators from the Seal Beach/Los Alamitos RACES organization will demonstrate how they can communicate without using a telephone, cell phone or Internet on Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23, at the Eisenhower Park, at the end of the Seal Beach Pier. Volunteers with the regional Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services will join with thousands of amateur radio operators throughout the US calling each other to see how many contacts they can make during the 24-hour period beginning at 11 a.m., June 22, and ending at 11 a.m., Sunday, June 23.
The public demonstrations will be held until 5 p.m., June 22, and begin at 8 a.m., June 28.
This exercise will also demonstrate their emergency capabilities in the event of a major disaster.
During this annual “Field Day” you will have a chance to meet and talk with Seal Beach/ Los Alamitos members and see for yourself what the Amateur Radio Service and RACES is all about. Also helping will be members of the Seal Beach Police Explorer Scouts. This event is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio.
The slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, the Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.
More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country are expected to participate in this year’s event.
The Seal Beach/Los Alamitos RACES group meets one evening every other month at the Seal Beach Police Department. As part of our emergency communications training, members participate in 5 to 7 communications drills during the year and a half-hour once a week radio check. Anyone interested in learning how to earn a ham radio license or any hams interested in joining RACES can get more information by contacting Todd DeVoe the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the Seal Beach Police Department at (562) 799-4100 ext 1121 or via email: tdevoe@sealbeachca.gov.
