What a month our area has seen this past month. A big thank you to our Butte County ARES Emergency Coordinator Dale Anderson, KK6EVX and others who gave of their time and talents during the Oroville Dam evacuation incident. There was a shortage of operators, so this is an opportunity to ask for members of our club to step up and contact Dale to be ARES members. This incident was a prime example of how quickly things can change and the need can arise for quick response to provide communications.
As we know we are a very unique and exclusive group in that through our hobby we alone have the capabilities to provide communications across the street or around the world with many different modes. No other volunteer groups can do quite what we can do, we are a needed asset to our fellow man in times of need.
Being an ARES member does not require a lot of time or fancy stations, it just means that you will be willing to be properly trained and willing to work shifts during an incident. The more willing and available ARES operators means a lighter load on everyone. Please consider this and contact Dale if you can commit to this crucial part of Amateur Radio.
Larry Marcum, KA6GND
GEARS President