Modern communication methods can sometimes falter in the wake of a major landfalling hurricane. What most people might not realize is emergency managers have a back up plan that relies on old school technology: amateur, or ham radio.
There is a formal system in place, called the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, that's been around since the 1930s. It's comprised of local, licensed ham radio operators and their equipment that emergency officials can call into action if other means of communication are not reliably working. We explore this interesting aspect of emergency management with Robert Pantazes, he is the Treasurer of the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club, and chair of its Technical Committee.
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