Amateur Radio part of the 2006 Alabama EMA and Alabama - Mississippi Hurricane Conference!

Emergency Managers from all over Alabama and Mississippi assembled for the week long conference in Mobile Alabama.  The VIP list was long one, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Alabama and Mississippi State EMA Directors, Max Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center, past FEMA Director James Lee Witt and the new FEMA Director David Paulison.

The conference brought presentations, meetings and breakout sessions that included a strong, broad range of emergency management, hurricane disaster, Incident Command System (ICS), and lessons-learned topics.  This type of conference is a “must attend” event for Section Managers and SECs that plan to work in emergency and disaster operations.  We met dozens of emergency management personnel and have started building relationships with them before the next disaster.

Alabama Section Manger Greg Sarratt, W4OZK was on the emergency communications breakout session panel along side of FEMA, State EMA, and industry.  Greg spoke about the ARRL and Amateur radio’s involvement in EMCOMM and how Amateur radio has, and can continue to, assist during disasters. 

There was a two day vendor show-and-tell where Alabama Section Manager, Greg Sarratt, W4OZK and Alabama SEC Jay Isbell, KA4KUN showed-off Amateur radio.  We showed dozens of emergency management personnel the ARRL Ham-Aid “Go kits” and the newest Digital technology, D-STAR equipment.

Greg met with and discussed Amateur radio with the new FEMA Director, David Paulison.  Mr. Paulison now knows more about the emergency communications-side of Amateur radio.

The conference was a very informative for us and greatly beneficial to the emergency managers. We found many people interested in what Amateur radio can do.  We held a VE test session and tested 9 EMA personnel!

Alabama SEC Jay Isbell, KA4KUN in ARRL booth

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