Source: Amateur Radio VS Emergency Radio – FinancialQz (http://financialqz.com/2016/10/18/amateur-radio-vs-emergency-radio).

BIG ISLAND ARRL NEWS, 24 October 2016, 03:45 hrs, UTC, Post #27.

Accessed on 24 October 2016, 03:45 hrs, UTC.

Reporter:  Alan Davis.

Please click link to read the full story.

Comment:

Although some radio amateurs have panned this article as over simplistic and inaccurate in technical terms, it is at least an honest attempt to educate Americans who may not know or even care about the role Amateur Radio plays in times of emergency.  Many of my friends still confuse Amateur Radio with CB and the public service radios used by police, fire, and emergency management personnel.  For a public that uses so many digital gadgets, there is a remarkable ignorance about the workings of science and technology.  This well-intentioned, but poorly-filled out essay doesn’t quite establish Amateur Radio as a distinct entity with an important public safety function.

Perhaps Mr. Davis should have discussed the article with a local radio amateur or ARES/RACES volunteer before publishing the story.

Despite the weakness of the article, this is the type of story that needs to be published in local print, social, and broadcast media.  That’s the kind of story I’m looking for to submit to our local media.  If you have such an article buzzing around your mind, please send me a copy. I’ll polish it up and submit it to our print and electronic media.  In fact, send me your club activities list, scheduled events, and even VE testing sessions.  The idea is to get the word out about Amateur Radio and what role it plays in providing emergency communications backup for local county and state officials.

Please send your articles to kh6jrm@arrl.net at least two weeks before your event.  The story will then be sent to our newspapers and radio stations.

I really can’t be too harsh on Mr. Davis. Afterall, he did try to explain an often complex subject to a public that prefers simple, non-technical ideas.

For the latest ARRL news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily.  For breaking news of interest to the Amateur Radio community, please visit my news site at http://www.kh6jrm.info.

Thanks for joining us today!

Until next time,

Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM)

ARRL Public Information Coordinator

Hawaii County, ARRL Pacific Section