Hams join Cal­i­for­ni­a’s wild­fire response

Ama­teur Radio Emer­gency Ser­vice (ARES) and Radio Ama­teur Civ­il Emergency
Ser­vice (RACES) vol­un­teers have been called up by Tuolumne Coun­ty officials
to help fill com­mu­ni­ca­tion gaps in response to the Rim Fire.

The wide­spread fire, one of the largest in Cal­i­for­nia for decades, at last
count has destroyed two dozen struc­tures and closed roads in the very rugged
area. The Red Cross is shel­ter­ing on the order of 100 evacuees.

It has con­tin­ued for 10 days and moves close­ly to a reser­voir that provides
most of San Fran­cis­co’s water supply.

Dur­ing major dis­as­ters nor­mal tele­phone ser­vices are over­loaded or destroyed
along with pow­er plus oth­er infrastructure.

Tuolumne Coun­ty RACES Radio Offi­cer Phil Fish WB6GGY said the aim of more
than 20 hams is to keep the lines of com­mu­ni­ca­tion open.

ARES-RACES mem­bers are pro­vid­ing sup­port com­mu­ni­ca­tion between local government
and the Red Cross. Oth­er mem­bers are help­ing with the tele­phones in the emergency
oper­a­tions centre.

- Jim Lin­ton VK3PC, Chair­man IARU Region 3 Dis­as­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Committee.