A partnership between area hospitals and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service has been formed in order to provide an essential service to the community in the event of an emergency. This partnership seeks to further enhance Hamilton County's emergency preparedness program. The partnership will mark it's inception by hosting a celebration at Erlanger Hospital today at Noon.

This partnership will allow area hospitals to communicate with emergency workers in the event that other communication becomes unavailable. During a crisis situation, Amateur radio operators can coordinate communication networks for governmental and emergency officials. Amateur radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that damage typical lines of communication due to power outages and destruction of telephone, cellular, and other infrastructure-dependent systems.

"The addition of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service provides our emergency management plan with a valuable level of communication during critical events," says Winston Shields, director of Emergency Management/Safety Officer, Memorial Health Care System. "Memorial Health Care System is pleased to participate in this collaborative effort with area hospitals and our local amateur radio club to provide this needed service."

Amateur radio, sometimes referred to as ham radio, is both a service and a hobby for most participants. Operators use different types of radio communication equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for various reasons. These operators have access to wireless communication with one another and are able to support communities with emergency disaster communications. Local amateur radio volunteers practice their skills often at such events as the Chattanooga Bicycle Club's Three State Three Mountain bike ride, block parties, Amateur Radio Field Day, and other related public service events.

"We are pleased that this critical additional of communication services has been added to our collaborative partnership program," said Robin Marsh, emergency department director/market emergency coordinator at Parkridge Medical Center. "In the event of a community catastrophe where phones and cellular services were inoperable, the ham operators could provide a vital link of communications for our hospitals. It's exciting to see these volunteers offer their time and expertise to support our hospitals and the community."

Area organizations in the partnership include: the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, Erlanger Health System, Memorial Health Care System and Parkridge Medical Center.

"Adding amateur radio operators to our disaster planning efforts is a great step forward. We are grateful for their interest and support," stated Debbie Shepherd, administrator and disaster planning coordinator for Erlanger Health System.