GBARC Emergency Response

GBARC Emergency Response
Our mission is to to provide emergency communications through the use of amateur radio. This goal is achieved in three important ways - EOC involvement, training and equipment availability.

	Emergency Operations Centers — Specifying, operating and sometimes constructing the amateur radio facilities associated with EOC's located within the greater Bridgeport area. We make sure that the radio capability in these facilities meet minimum performance requirements that include HF, VHF and UHF transceivers plus digital operation on at least one band and that we have trained operators that are familiar with the facility and are ready to man it when called. GBARC is thusly integrated with: DEMHS Region 1 EOC more info Bridgeport, CT OEM EOC more info Derby, CT OEM EOC more info American Red Cross, MFC Chapter EOC more info
	Training — GBARC meets twice a month to discuss and plan ways to maintain and improve communications skills. We participate in numerous training activities that serve to further our expertise. In 2008 alone we participated in over thirty-five activities that honed our response skills. Recent ones include: Bridgeport, CT Terrorist Drill more info American Red Cross Drill more info Stratford, CT Communications Test more info ARRL FIeld Day more info
	Equipment — In addition to the EOC installed equipment, each GBARC member has personally owned radio equipment that they is available to support an emergency response. Hand-held VHF/UHF radios, HF base station radios, and HF mobile rigs along with associated antennas, cabling and power supplies are among the available equipment.