‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  
DISASTER/ EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS TOPICS FOSTER THE INTERNATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT OF COOPERATION AND COORDINATION.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE SECOND IARU
REGION 2 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOP, HELD IN 2016 IN VI DEL MAR,
CHILE, ADDRESSED REGIONAL CHALLENGES, WITH ARRL AND IARU REGION 2
SPONSORING THE MEETING.  COREY AND PIO SANTOS CO CHAIRED.  THE GOAL WAS TO
SHARE IDEAS, TO NETWORK, AND TO IMPROVE RESPONSE CAPABILITY, THEY SAID.
ATTENDEES CAME FROM COUNTRIES WITHIN AND

PUBLIC SERVICE  GLOBAL REACH IARU EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS  A JUNE
2018 MEETING OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATORS AT THE HAM RADIO INTERNATIONAL
EXHIBITION IN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY, HIGHLIGHTS THE GLOBAL INTEREST IN
THE UTILITY OF AMATEUR SERVICE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE/
SAFETY IN EMERGENCY, DISASTER RESPONSE, AND PLANNED EVENT APPLICATIONS.  A
REPORT ON THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MEETING WAS DRAFTED AND POSTED BY
THE INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO UNIONS IARU REGION 1 EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
GREG MOSSOP, G0DUB, WHICH CITED AN EXCELLENT TURNOUT.  THE MEETING WAS
SPONSORED BY THE IARU.  AS THE WORLDWIDE VOICE OF AMATEUR RADIO, THE
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY THAT IS THE IARU FOLLOWS THE LEAD OF THE
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION ITU THE SPECIALIZED UN AGENCY FOR
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AND FREQUENCY ALLOCATION IN
DIVIDING THE WORLD INTO THREE REGIONS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.  REGION
2 COMPRISES THE AMERICAS REGION 1 COMPRISES EUROPE, AFRICA, THE MIDDLE
EAST, AND NORTHERN ASIA, WHILE REGION 3 COMPRISES ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.
REGION 1 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MOSSOP DISCUSSED ACTIVITY IN HIS REGION
THAT LENDS PERSPECTIVE ON THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
INITIATIVES IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS IN TURKEY,
SPECIAL EXERCISES IN MALTA, TRAINING PROGRAMS IN SLOVENIA, AND SUPPORT OF

PUBLIC EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA, FOR EXAMPLES.  IN MAY, RADIO AMATEURS
PROVIDED RESPONSE/ RELIEF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS IN THE CYCLONE MEKUNU
DISASTER, DESCRIBED AS THE MOST INTENSE STORM TO STRIKE THE ARABIAN
PENINSULA IN RECORDED HISTORY.  YOUNIS AL BALUSHI, A41MA, REPORTED THAT HE
AND OTHER AMATEURS IN OMAN WERE ABLE TO CONNECT CUT OFF AREAS WITH THE
COMMAND CENTER IN SALALAH, WHEN NO OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS EXISTED.
MICHAL WILCZYNSKI, SP9XWM, AND KRZYSZTOF GAUDNIK, SP7WME, SPOKE ON THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE SP EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CLUB SPEC, A MEMBER OF THE
POLISH RADIO AMATEUR UNION PZK.  BETWEEN 2016 AND 2018 SPEC CONDUCTED SIX
NATIONAL WEATHER CATASTROPHE READINESS EXERCISES, AND IN MAY 2017, THEY
WORKED WITH THE DEUTSCHER FOR AN INTERNATIONAL EXERCISE, DUBBED LIGHTNING
2017.  STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO ARRL AND THE US ARES PROGRAM, SPEC HAS
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND HAS RESPONDED TO MANY
INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.  HERBERT KOBLMILLER, OE3KJN, DISCUSSED MAYS EXERCISE
SOLAR FLARE THAT TESTED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WITH GOOD COOPERATION AMONG
AUSTRIAN RADIO AMATEURS, THE MILITARY, AND TELECOM SERVICE PROVIDERS.
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ