Langley’s Emergency Operations Centre will hold a Field Day focused on radio communications this Saturday, June 25, and it’s open to the public.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the public portion of the exercise will take place in the parking lot outside the W.C. Blair Pool at 22200 Fraser Highway.
The Field Day is part of an annual exercise sponsored by Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Langley Emergency Program team members will show off their radio skills under simulated emergency conditions, said Ginger Sherlock, Langley’s emergency program coordinator.
Visitors will be able to try out radio communication, learn Morse code, learn how to keep in touch with loved ones during a power failure, and enter to win an emergency wind-up radio.
There will also be certificates for children who print their names using Morse code and via phonetics, said Sherlock.
The Emergency Operations Centre’s communications unit will stay active for 24 hours, confirming connections to other North American stations, use various radios and transmission methods, and operate under emergency power with a backup generator.
The Emergency Operations Centre plans for major crises that could strike Langley, from floods to plane crashes to large-scale brush fires.
