BREWTON, AL – The Escambia County, AL Emergency Communications District (E911) has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Rural Radio Preparedness Association (RRPA) and the Escambia County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. The award was presented by District Director Nicholas Beasley Thursday, May 23rd at the district’s headquarters in Brewton, Alabama.
“We are grateful to the Board and for their vision and sense of urgency of our mission,” said Larry Fussell, RRPA President. “They (E911), clearly, understand the big picture and take their responsibilities seriously.”
Director Beasley said it is encouraging to see private citizens take an active role in emergency communications preparedness. “They are getting things done. We are proud to support a project that benefits the citizens of Escambia County in an emergency,” he added.
The grant will provide new emergency communications repeaters across the county that will be free from commercial power and allow government officials, fire departments and other agencies to continue to communicate with each other and beyond in the event of a collapse of electricity, cellphone, Internet or landline service.
David Adams, Director of the Escambia County Emergency Management Agency, overseas the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and implemented the program last year in an effort to enhance preparedness across the region. “These are professional volunteers whose level of commitment is unequaled,” said Adams. They have the dedication, skills and, now, some resources to make sure we can communicate during and after a prolonged disaster.”
The program is an official communications arm of the Department of Homeland Security and operates under Civil Defense Radio guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Should the President execute the War Powers Act, they will be the only ones communicating over the airwaves as all other amateur radio operators could be silenced as a matter of national security. “This is not CB radio. This is serious business. I hope we never need it but, if we do, the citizens of Escambia County can sleep a little easier tonight” said Adams.
The RRPA is working with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the National Weather Service and Emergency Management to enhance emergency communications across a 20-county area. Escambia County, AL is the hub of the operation. “To my knowledge, no other amateur radio organization has ever attempted such a project or achieved a level of success such as this,” said Adams. “This is how problems get solved; planning, persistence and leadership.”
From left to right:
Rita Lehman, Nick Beasley, David Adams, Franklin Smith, David Martin, Larry Fussell, T.H. Merritt