photo credit: Mark Prell
Sonoma Count Radio Amateurs Field Day, June 28, 2025 in Santa Rosa.

Sonoma County is no stranger to fires, earthquakes, or floods and in any emergency, and we know communication is key.

One group that stands ready to serve in an emergency is the Sonoma County Radio Amateurs, commonly known as "ham radio" operators.

They recently held one of their annual emergency preparedness events called "Field Day," which licensed radio operator June Slater said, is intended to be a simulation of an emergency event likely to occur in our area.

"In the event of some sort of mass emergency, there is a desire to have communication rather quickly," Slater said.

Large-scale disasters often disrupt cellular and landline-based phone services. So establishing alternative lines of communication becomes crucial.

Most Ham operators use handheld radios and many have more elaborate radio shacks at their homes.

But the real magic of amateur radio rests in its resiliency.

"The purpose of the event is intended to presume that your house was destroyed and any permanent structure that you might use is destroyed," Slater said. "So you're going to go out to a public park and you're going to simulate, hey, what can you pull out of the wreckage of your garage and try to throw it up, and then try to talk to people as much as you can," Slater said.

The American Radio Relay League, known by the acronym ARRL, is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources. According to the League's website, Field Days are always held on the fourth full weekend in June.

The goal is to work as many "stations" as possible, each operating on different frequencies, in simulated "abnormal" conditions.

The exercise helps operators develop skills to meet the challenges of emergency operations and it's an opportunity to acquaint the public with the capabilities of amateur radio.

Getting and sharing out information can be helpful not just for first responders and emergency workers, but also for families of those affected.

Slater remembers working the radio after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017.

"I personally was still at Perdue university," Slater said, "but we helped pass messages back and forth from the island to the mainland not so much for emergency personnel, but just for families who wanted to talk to their loved ones and this provided a way to actually talk to folks," Slater said.

You can learn more about amateur radio, including how to become a licensed operator yourself, at SonomaCountyRadioAmateurs.com.