Ham Radio in Emergency

Amateur Radio, the fascinating hobby has a service aspect too. In case of natural calamities, where primary communication fails, Ham Radio becomes the second line of communication.

Ham Radio can play a vital role in restoring communication during times of natural disaster when normal communications are overloaded, damaged or completely disrupted.

But cyclones, earthquakes or floods are not everyday events. What we see everyday is that someone in the remote place is struggling for life, awaiting the arrival of an essential drug from another town or someone has lost a dear one because medical attention could not reach him on time. All this happens because most often communication is slow or impossible. Hams have special section to handle medical and other emergency traffic on their daily nets.

In the Gujarath (India) earthquake on 26th January 2001, Amateur Radio Operators living there commenced disaster relief communications within hours of the tragedy. With the help of Ham's from various part of the country, an emergency traffic network was established to exchange information to various parts of the country.