06/24/2002 | WX4KY Field Day is a longtime amateur radio tradition. Field Day is an opportunity for fellowship with other amateurs, a contest, and a chance to expose the general public to the world of amateur radio. Another, and perhaps the most important purpose of Field Day is to simulate and realistically set up and operate as a group would in an emergency. The recent earthquakes in Western Kentucky brings this point home even more. In a large scale disaster, all normal utilities may be disrupted, and ARES groups will be forced to perform their duties without benefit of facilities.

This year in Lexington, Kentucky there were two field day sites. The Fayette County ARES Site at Jacobson Park was chosen with forethought of an upcoming CSEPP exercise that will position amateurs within the park in the coming months. The role of Fayette County ARES in this exercise will assist local, state, and federal agencies.

The primary resource of our site was a mobile command post van, and a decommissioned TV remote van given to our group by WLEX in Lexington. The combination of the multi-band communication capability, and a portable 40 foot antenna mast is a powerful punch in disaster areas where no other facilities exist.

All the goals of Field Day were achieved at the site. There was a good deal of fellowship with many conversations about emergency services, and maximizing our capabilities, interacting with the general public, government. We even tried a few new things that will prove useful in a disaster. How well we did in the contest, we don't know. We'll just have to read QST.

During the day, we had contact with firefighters, law enforcement officers, and our most distinguished visitor, Logan Weiler. Weiler is the Kentucky Emergency Management Area 13 Manager.

Weiler is a great supporter of amateur radio, and our group has a long history with him, and his office. Over the years, Fayette County ARES has answered his call for assistance to communicate with the 9 counties surrounding Lexington, KY during time of disaster. He visited us for about 2 hours, and despite our best efforts, we couldn't get him on the radio.

In fact, we have been trying to get him to get his amateur radio license for years without success. He has humorously told us in the past, that he couldn't because we have reached a level of expertise, he didn't think he could catch up. I invite him to prove us wrong.

More details can be found at http://www.qsl.net/kf4mom/fieldday.html -- KD4PWL