Emergency Preparedness (EP Week) is a national awareness initiative that has taken place annually, during the first full week of May, since 1996. Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. The very nature of an emergency is unpredictable and can change in scope and impact. Being prepared and planning ahead is critical to protecting lives, the environment, and property.

The guys at Surrey have done it again. Over 130 pages of news and events. To read this newsletter go to

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iIe6u03xpyH5IVHjkzTbCbDlsoi3T1vm/view

The electronic version of the Radio Amateur of Canada magazine is now available to download.

https://www.rac.ca/may-june-2022-etca-is-now-available/

Below 30MHz is the area affected by the solar flare. To learn more about this event go to

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=949202

Amateur Radio Operators in Hawaii took part in a four day exercise to test emergency communications. To learn more go to

https://www.kitv.com/news/local/amateur-radio-operators-across-the-state-conduct-4-day-emergency-training-exercise/article_1ec0ddee-bdf8-11ec-a197-4f4d4582d37f.html

This is from the ARRL Newsletter

A relaxing weekend of camping and fishing did not go as planned last Friday when a member of a California outdoors club fell and broke his hip.

The Old Goats Mountain Club (OGMC) had worked their way along an old Forest Service Road into a rugged, off grid location in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Dave Johnson, KL7DJ, said his friend slipped and fell while trying reel in a catch. The injury was so severe that the man could not be moved safely with a trip that could take at least 2 hours over the rough terrain.

Johnson is the only licensed amateur radio operator in the group and using the California Amateur Linking Radio Association (CARLA) http://www.carlaradio.net/thesystem/ system, he was able to call for emergency help from this vehicle. Greg Stamback, KD6VEN, located in the San Francisco Bay area responded and contacted the Shasta County EMS which dispatched a REACH 5 https://reachair.com/about-us/history/ rescue helicopter from their base in Redding, California.

The entire rescue took about 1 hour and before the helicopter landed a local ambulance company arrived and was able to stabilize the injured camper. After surgery and 3 days in the hospital he is now at home recovering.

Johnson’s wife Linda, KL7ISN, helped coordinate getting their friend’s vehicle back to Redding. Using pre-planned contact schedules for Friday and Saturday and, after several makeshift auto-patches, the car was driven to a nearby highway where two other club members were able to take the car safely back home.

But the weekend was not over for amateur radio help. While the rest of the group was making their way out of the mountains on Sunday they were flagged down by a stranded motorist. His car’s gas tank had been punctured and his cell phone would not work. He was taken to a small community along the way where there was a landline, and he was able to call for help from AAA.

Johnson said the motorist was thankful for the help and another member of the OGMC suggested the motorist might want to consider getting an amateur radio license.

While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, Johnson and a couple of OGMC members talked about amateur radio and how it had helped over the last few days. One member suggested maybe even he should have a transceiver installed in his vehicle. Johnson plans to make sure his friend, and the motorist, get a complete demonstration.

Do you what HF frrequencies you would use in an emergency ? Here is some information

Tsunami Preparedness week is a good time for ARES teams to engage in public relations with the community. This will not only make the community aware of your presence, but also help members as we move into what may be an active summer. More information on Tsunami Preparedness Week can be found at

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/know-your-hazards/earthquakes-tsunamis/tsunami

The Comox Valley Amateur Radio Group will hold their flea market from 1000-1300 April 10 2022 on Fenwick Rd