Hams to the Rescue!

Monday, January 16, 2006
Stephenville, TX

Ham Radio helps fight wildfires

By MISTY SHAW News Editor
Monday, January 16, 2006 10:27 AM CST

To their family and friends, they’re known as Larry Barr and Gene Morrison.

But to their fellow Ham radio operators, Barr and Morrison are known by their “handles,” KE5FEW and K5IIY, respectively.

And when disastrous wildfires struck in Cross Plains last December, the two local amateur radio operators used their knowledge and equipment to assist in emergency communications there.

“I’m sort of a staff advisor for the Tarleton Ham Club, which is for students, and Gene and I are also members of the Tarleton Area Ham Radio Club, which is for non-students,” Barr said. “That Tuesday night (Dec. 27), we had our weekly net where we talk to other Hams and practice emergency communications, which is the real reason Ham radio exists.

“Gene checked into the Brownwood net and learned of the possible need for relief operators for the next day,” Barr said, explaining that the fires had burned down cell phone and other communications towers in the area. “He called me on the landline and asked if I would be interested in joining the effort the next day, so I volunteered to help as needed.”

The two operators promptly traveled to Cross Plains to lend their assistance.

“We checked in with the staff at the First Baptist Church in Cross Plains, which was serving as the Red Cross shelter,” Barr said. “We immediately began handling welfare and operational traffic between Cross Plains and the Red Cross stations in Brownwood and Abilene.

“During the course of the day, we received 11 welfare calls for individuals or family groups and, with the help of two local ladies who went out to the folks’ homes and checked on them, were able to clear all 11 calls and report that all those people were okay,” Barr said.

In addition, the radio operators handled “operational traffic” and other requests throughout the day and into the next.

Barr said a number of other Ham radio operators participated in the relief effort in Cross Plains, including Bill Shaw (KJ5DX), Ronnie Broadus, Roy Green (KD5HEL), Glenn Cummins (K5GC), James Reece (KD5NMI), James Winstead (KD5OZY), Charles Zabel (KC5MJC), Bill Fraser (KD5HEJ), Sam Kotter (KD5EUS), Lee Hays (W5PPF), Mike Isbell (W5KIX), Cliff Conway (KC5KWX), Bill Allen (WA5PB) and Allen “Griff” Griffith (N5AG).

“It just shows what Ham radio does when it’s needed,” Barr said. “We’ll be ready to coordinate with law enforcement here, too, because if we can take some of that communications load off of their shoulders, they can get back to doing what they need to do.”

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