Field Day 2017

Event: American Radio Relay League Field Day: Communications Demonstration, Exercise, and Contest

Location: Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security, 5300 Strawberry Farms Blvd, Columbus OH 43230.

Hours: Open to the public Saturday, June 24 (2-8 P.M.) and Sunday, June 25 (8 A.M.-noon). Radio operations will begin at 2 P.M. Saturday. We will hold a brief seminar at 3 P.M. on Saturday: “Introduction to Amateur Radio and Volunteer Emergency Response” for interested members of the public.

Register to visit (or to volunteer to staff the station if a licensed radio amateur) at https://goo.gl/forms/VvPnFtaWwz8JIzwz2, indicating intended hours and qualifications.

Amateur radio is more than a hobby: it's a public service. Operators use their licenses, equipment, and skills in the service of the public and the agencies that serve them in times of emergency—when communication is most urgent and traditional methods are unreliable. On Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25, 2017, amateur radio operators supporting Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security (FCEM&HS) will be conducting an operation that will:

• 1. Demonstrate the power and flexibility of amateur radio to establish contact with others near and far,

  2. Exercise the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Incident Command System (ICS), and

  3. Educate officials and members of the public about amateur radio.

The operation will be conducted at the FCEM&HS facility at 5300 Strawberry Farms Blvd, Columbus, OH 43230. The site will be open for visits from scouting troops, officials, and members of the public between noon and 8 P.M. on Saturday and 8 A.M. and noon on Sunday. Amateur radio operators will be working to contact as many stations as possible on as many frequencies as possible, and will be using different modes of operation including voice, digital, and continuous wave (Morse Code).

Visitors will have an opportunity to get on the air themselves, making radio contacts under the helpful guidance of a skilled licensed amateur radio operator.

Information and representatives will be available from participating organizations, including:

• • Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security http://fcemhs.com/,

  • Franklin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) https://www.coares.org/,

  • Central Ohio Traffic Net (COTN) http://www.cotn.us/,

  • Franklin County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) http://fcemhs.com/CitizenPreparedness/FranklinCountyCERT.aspx,

  • Central Ohio Severe Weather Net (COSWN) http://www.severe-weather.org/, and

  • Ohio Military Reserve (OHMR) http://ohmr.ohio.gov/.

Both licensed volunteers and visitors can register to join the site online and indicate affiliations, qualifications, and hours of availability.

The exercise is similar to exercises like it that will be conducted throughout the country at the area, state, and country.

We look forward to seeing you!