Feb. 2008

Simulated Semi-Emergency - 1983 - Wichita Falls, Texas

I don't remember much about this event such as the nature of the emergency that called us local Amateur Radio operators into action. It was probably another tornado. All I remember is that I was assigned to ride in the back of an ambulance, and using my HT, I was to notify the radio operator at the local hospital when we were headed their way with a casualty and also the nature of the injuries.

I was too new to see the obvious problem with this scenario. That problem being that we hams assumed that our repeaters were "tornado-proof" and those of the civilian agencies we were supporting were not.

One thing I do remember was the seemingly non-stop voice ID of the repeater we were using. I wanted to reach through that HT and strangle that, that, whatever that was! Why the powers-that-be would not disable it for the exercise, and switch to a fast CW ID, I'll never know. Well, yes, I do know. They just had to hear their call sign!

If we really wanted to simulate an emergency, we would have used simplex. So maybe I would not have been able to reach the hospital until I was a mile out, but if that's the hand the disaster has dealt, then that's the hand we have to play.

Anyway… post 9/11… these people have all the equipment they need. If they don't have it, they have a checkbook and the phone number to the supplier!

73,

WF5TX