“We've got it covered now,” said T.H. Merritt, vice president of the Rural Radio Preparedness Association (RRPA) and county radio officer for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). “After much thought, what once was a plan is now a reality.”
After some resistance and slow progress, the RRPA is on a mission to make sure rural communities can communicate with each other and the outside world during a crisis of other emergency that degrades or destroys commercial communications. Several of the few members left included Larry Fussell, president of RRPA and Jason Beaman and the warning coordinator and chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mobile.
“The Poarch Creek Band of Indians were the first ones to step forward and give the radio group a chance,” said Merritt. “We met with them, and they gave us a grant to get the first repeater on the air, which was installed on the Jay Water tank last year.”
Merritt said Poarch has given the group another $5,000 grant, and the two are working closely together with training, emergency, operator provision, and anything Poarch needs to be prepared.
“We will bend over backwards for them,” he said. “They were the first to appreciate the need and what we were trying to do.”
Alabama State Rep. Alan Baker stepped up next, and went to state of Alabama, and got RRPA a small grant last year to finish project for a couple of to-go boxes to take in the field. Merritt said Baker was pivotal in making that happen.
“Director of Escambia County Emergency Management David Adams immediately saw the need,” said Merritt. “He's a one-man band so he needed help. He was looking for ways to harness the power and abilities of amateur radio for our needs here in Escambia County. He immediately directed the establishment of a RACES (est. 1952) here in Escambia County. The nearest one is in Huntsville. We stand ready at the request of the local emergency manager at the local level, governor at state level or even the president.”
Merritt noted that he system allows accountability for shelter occupants, evacuees, and can transmit supply request forms and even photos. Based on those, decisions can be made to rescue or send help, he said.
“Health and welfare checks can be administered by radio operators,” said Merritt. “NGO (non governmental organizations), such as Baptist groups who bring chainsaws or groups like that who come to help when crisis hits, can go out with radio operators and be their voice.”
The National Weather Service chose the RRPA as the eyes and ears for bad weather, giving the RRPA weather readiness status as a nation, a title usually reserved for only the most committed radio operators, according to Merritt.
“The repeater in Atmore is being linked to the repeater in Brewton, and we are building a third one on Highway 113, north of Flomaton,” said Merritt. “The Alabama Forest Service has agreed to let us use their fire tower.”
He said rural groups interested in becoming part of affiliates have to meet a strict criteria.
“The goal is to link 20 counties throughout Alabama, Florida and Mississippi to build a network that will still function in the event that one becomes incapacitated or damaged,” said Merritt. “We're building a system that has so many redundancies, some with solar power that eliminates the need for commercial electricity, and others with natural gas generators and batteries, so that even if one repeater goes down, we have backup and are never out of touch.”
Most members have been trained by the national weather service and have to meet strict FEMA criteria to be volunteers for EMCOM.
“It's a great way to give back to the community,” said Merritt. “You can be the vital link who connects all of these things. When it comes down to it, when the world goes silent, we are going to answer. Next to modern medicine, radio is the greatest invention.”
