Alachua County Amateur Radio Emergency Services Field Day

The best chance to see radio ops is from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, June 25 and 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, June 26.

ARES provides an essential link in public safety communications. The location of this event showcases the support of the Alachua County Emergency Management Department and first responders from across the community.

“Emergency Communications Volunteers are a committed group who are granted a wide range of unique abilities by the Federal Communications Commission,” said Dalton Herding, Alachua County Emergency Management Program Coordinator. “They are leveraging these unique capabilities to support public safety efforts in Alachua County.”

Since 1933, amateur radio operators across North America have established temporary amateur radio stations in public places during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of amateur radio. The event shows how amateur radio works reliably in all conditions from almost any location to create an independent communication network. Amateur radio operates completely independent of internet or mobile phone infrastructure, can interface with laptops or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes.

Anyone can become a licensed amateur radio operator, and there are over 725,000 licensed radio amateurs in the United States (as young as nine and as old as 100). It’s easy for anyone to get involved in Alachua County.