Emer­gency com­mu­ni­ca­tions in Pakistan
The Pak­istan Ama­teur Radio Soci­ety (PARS) reports that a cross-band emer­gency repeater is set to pro­vide the first com­mu­ni­ca­tions of its type to the flood hit Swat Val­ley, link­ing it to the rest of the coun­try through a chain of 2‑metre band repeaters.
PARS emer­gency com­mu­ni­ca­tions organ­is­er Asad Mar­wat AP2AUM that while the link­ing of so many repeaters will cause a tail squelch delay, giv­en the cir­cum­stances and lack of prop­er equip­ment it will be acceptable.
A con­voy of radio ama­teurs is relo­cat­ing a repeater already installed at Changla and relo­cat­ing it to Malakand Heights, so it can be linked into the emer­gency com­mu­ni­ca­tions sys­tem via Nowshera.
Asad AP2AUM said that a team of radio ama­teurs will be trans­port­ing via a heli­copter a VHF base sta­tion with a high gain anten­na, and sub­ject to the avail­abil­i­ty of a 12v car bat­tery all should be up and running.
As the mas­sive flood dis­as­ter that has rav­aged Pak­istan for the past month shows no signs of eas­ing, PARS con­tin­ues to col­lab­o­rate with Islam­abad Jeep Club mem­bers and the Pak­istan Acad­e­my of Fam­i­ly Physi­cians to pro­vide sup­port for those affected.
Some 30 radio ama­teurs are involved in pro­vid­ing emer­gency com­mu­ni­ca­tions in response to the dis­as­ter esti­mat­ed to have affect­ed 20 mil­lion peo­ple and claimed 1500 lives.
— IARU Region 3 Dis­as­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Com­mit­tee Chair­man, Jim Lin­ton VK3PC.