Seattle's Radio Volunteer Preparedness for the Next Natural Disaster

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Seattle's Radio Volunteer Preparedness for the Next Natural Disaster Jul 15, 2024

Across a grassy field at South Seattle College, people in orange and yellow neon safety vests set up 60-foot antennas, linked together by wires strung up like a clothesline. Solar panels powering radios and receivers stretched across the field and parking lot.

It was Seattle Radio Field Day, a 24-hour event where radio hobbyists connected with others on air across the world, learned about rugged 2 way radios and practiced radio emergency preparedness.

For many, the thought of a natural disaster occurring in their city is an unsettling one.

Some people, however, know exactly what they would do. For instance, locals involved with the Seattle Emergency Hubs organization, a volunteer-based group that teaches Seattleites about emergency situation preparedness, would report to their nearest hub, a designated meeting place for community members in the event of a natural disaster.

Others, like those in Seattle-area amateur radio clubs and the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service, would get on air to connect with other parts of the city and the Seattle Office of Emergency Management to relay information.

The Seattle Emergency Hubs were first formed in 2007 after a major windstorm knocked down power lines. Ann Forrest, the organization’s North Seattle Hubs coordinator, said the event led to neighbors meeting on street corners to share information and resources.

At South Seattle College in late June, RVs and campers filled a parking lot, where members of local radio groups had set up camp for outdoor two way radio training exercise.

Volunteers and members from Cascadia Radio, Puget Sound Repeater Group, West Seattle Amateur Radio Club and Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service spread across sidewalks and the field. Some used Morse code to send messages, while others used computers to watch radio frequencies coming from across the world.

“Amateur radio operators are people who are prepared with systems that will function even if all the communication systems go down,” said Susanna Cunningham, Lake City Emergency Communication Hub captain and the communications service’s public information officer. “Should there be a major event, their job is to help the community help each other.”

The communications service, which is volunteer-based and includes about 150 licensed amateur radio operators and registered state emergency workers, collaborates with the Office of Emergency Management to ensure there’s a communication link between the city and its communities.

Many of the radio community members brought their own equipment，including high power radios and portable mini walkie talkie to the Radio Field Day.

Bill Thomassen, a member of the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club, set up his computer and a radio to teach members of the community about a system called Winlink, a program that doesn’t require the internet but can relay and receive messages by radio.

Using this system, Thomassen connects his computer to a radio, which can transmit via email any messages to a device with internet that’s outside the disaster zone.

“I can sit in my car and do this. I can be inside a church … this is all portable,” Thomassen said. “It doesn’t take much to be able to do it, and being able to make people feel better, that’s really worthwhile.”