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DENVILLE, NJ - A beautiful mix of blue skies and warm air greeted Morris County on Saturday, but that didn’t deter a group of amateur radio operators from behaving as if a brutal winter storm was approaching.
The “ham” radio aficionados took part in a pre-planned and coordinated Simulated Emergency Communications Test during which they practiced actions they might take if the area was about to be pummeled by a fierce winter storm.
It was a joint effort of Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Radio Amateur Communications Emergency Services, said Roxbury-based ham operator Jim (Doc) Kennedy.
“The test scenario was predicated on a strong winter storm with snow and ice coming into the Morris County area which closed roadways and cut power to many municipalities,” said Kennedy.
He said he and fellow hams from, and representing, Roxbury set up a simulated emergency operations center and a warming center/shelter while other radio operators in Denville, Hanover Township and Parsippany also created simulated warming centers/shelters.
“The purpose of the test was to see how well these amateur radio operators were able to set up and establish non-commercial communications radios and other types of communication gear to handle the emergency communications involving ‘real world’ situations happening within their operations for their municipality, based on cell and telecommunications failures due to the storm,” Kennedy explained.
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