By John Szwarc, N3SPW, Event Coordinator for Amateur Radio
At times it may seem that volunteering for public service events is a waste of time. Cell phones are the norm these days and amateur radio is often regarded as “old school”. It’s often difficult to find enough volunteers to staff all the needed amateur radio positions. And when recruiting volunteers someone inevitably says something like “nothing ever happens anyway.”
At a recent public service event, the Nittnay Cycling Classic at Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County Pennsylvania, it became painfully clear exactly how essential amateur radio communications assistance really is. Cell phone service is largely unavailable in the mountainous state park and amateur radio was the sole means of communicating with race officials and emergency services. At this bicycle race things were different. The phrase “nothing ever happens anyway” couldn’t be more wrong.
Two major incidents occurring within about ten minutes of each other demonstrated the real value of amateur radio communications. The first was a a bike rider who collided with a guard rail and went over a bank. That rider was brought out by ambulance. The second was a bicycle-car collision which resulted in the racer being life-flighted out and the race being suspended due to the road closure by the fire police.
Our communications plan had amateur radio operators positioned at various locations along the route, at the race headquarters as both net control and liaison with the Race Director, and one station stationed with the EMS staff. When the accident was reported to Net Control, the EMS staff was able to hear the entire report as it came in. They were in route to the first accident scene before the amateur station assigned to the EMS staff had the chance to acknowledge the call.
It helped that the event organizers had prepared a good communications plan prior to the race. Using ICS forms, the framework was in place to handle most any situation. And our team stuck to the plan. We performed flawlessly passing information where it was needed so race officials could make necessary decisions and dispatch needed resources. There was no panic or confusion about what we needed to do. Our operators were prepared.
Following the race Bill Muzika, Race Director for the Nittany Cycling Classic, commented “I cannot thank you guys enough for coming out to the race. Without you guys, this race probably would not have happened. The people I was stationed with, and all of the operators, were extremely professional and never showed any signs of panic. Their steady communication allowed for us to handle the situation in a timely manner.”
Yes, it’s nice to be appreciated. But more importantly it’s a good feeling to know that the accident victims received medical care as soon as humanly possible due to the fast and accurate handling of information from the amateur radio operators who volunteered their time. So the next time someone asks you to volunteer for a public service event, think twice before you blurt out “nothing ever happens anyway”. You might just play a part in saving someone’s life.