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Local Emergency Communications

Local Emergency Communications

The Marinette & Menominee Amateur Radio Club has the organization and resources to help our communities with communication and eyes & ears on the ground. During any emergency where extra and more reliable communications are necessary.

Our 147.000 repeater reaches radios and scanners from Escanaba, to Green Bay and east almost to Iron Mountain.  That is a huge footprint at the disposal of any emergency communications need due to Radio Failure, Lightning strikes on towers, or something rarely considered - Solar Storms.

The most frequently used of these situations is SkyWarn. Skywarn dispatches trained weather spotters during weather events to be the National Weather Service's eyes and ears on the ground. We watch for heavy wind and rain, hail, and tornados on the ground and relay on the radio back to our Skywarn Net Control Operator who relays pertinent information back to the NWS. We regularly dispatch 15-20 volunteers during weather events to watch the skies. We are always looking for volunteers for this service if you are a ham operator or cell phone operator!

For more immediate needs, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Team serves as direct communication agents between local and state authorities, and relay critical information from our local Emergency Coordinators, police, and sheriff departments to necessary agencies in state and federal agencies. We provide the backup to existing departmental communications. We are always looking for volunteers for ARES, which has more training, education, and certification by FEMA.