[GCARC] New Jersey Red Cross to Work with Radio operators

[Bob Keogh]

GCARC,

Friday August 25, 2023 ARRL Section Mangers from the Northern New Jersey Section and the Southern New Jersey Section met in Princeton NJ, with representatives from the Red Cross New Jersey Region to sign a cooperation agreement. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding focuses on disaster planning and response for communities within New Jersey during and after a disaster event.

Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) teams in New Jersey will provide assistance with communications in support of disaster relief. This is based on the cooperation agreement between ARES and the New Jersey Red Cross Region.

ARES teams will provide assistance through training, testing, exercises, and by providing emergency communications to support local shelter operations. This is especially important when normal communications are disrupted or overloaded.

Amateur Radio Emergency Services teams throughout New Jersey have been supporting American Red Cross shelter disaster operations and operating region American Red Cross emergency communications for some time. An example is the Princeton office is maintained and operated by the Mercer County team and ARC Pennsauken Office is supported by Gloucester County team. Other joint ARES/RACES/AUXCOMM teams have provided ARC shelter services during past emergency activations.

More details regarding the joint exercise, procedures for activation and deployment will be provided shortly.

If you have any questions or wish to register for this program, send me an email at KD2NEC at QSL.NET

Best regards

Bob KD2NEC
GCARC Emergency Coordinator