Synopsis by Grace D'Amico: With Len Lavenda’s deep background in corporate communications and his role as Red Cross EmComm (Emergency Communications) Lead for NEPA and the Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Monroe County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services), he shared with us the importance of Amateur Radio beyond a hobby. Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, had no other form of communication available in some areas for over a week. When cell towers, landlines, and power systems failed due to widespread devastation, hams provided critical, uninterrupted contact for rescue and relief efforts. Currently there are ¾ of a million operators in the US. No license is required to listen/monitor, but an FCC license is required to transmit.
For more information, visit the National Association of Amateur Radio at https://www.arrl.org/ or contact the local Red Cross office in Stroudsburg where meetings are held every 2nd Thursday at the control center.
