BARC BEGINS TO MONITOR TROPICAL STORM HARVEY

August 18, 2017
For: Immediate Release

The Belize Amateur Radio Club (BARC) has started to monitor the movement of Tropical Storm Harvey as it makes its way across the Caribbean Sea. Meteorological forecasts indicate a storm path directly to Belize.

Storms such as Harvey may disrupt normal communications by uprooting electrical poles,folding over radio towers and damaging antennae used by telecommunications companies. The loss of electricity and normal communications may cripple communities and individuals if they are not able to relay critical information.

Emergency two-way communications, such as those provided by BARC members ( who are also called Ham Radio Operators), may become vital following the passage of a powerful storm. BARC members have therefore trained and stand ready to assist if called upon to provide emergency radio communications.

At the announcement of an imminent landfall of TS Harvey by the Meteorological and National Emergency Managers, BARC will proceed to use the frequencies of 7.177 MHz and 147.000 to relay emergency messages within Belize. We will also use internationally allocated ham radio frequencies to relay emergency traffic.

Attached below are additional radio frequencies used by emergency radio organizations to assist in humanitarian relief efforts:

Belize Emergency Frequencies
7.000 MHz National Disaster Response Frequency

7.177 MHz Belize Amateur Radio Club Net
144.000 MHz Disaster response
150.750 MHz NEMO Belize Disaster Response
156.800 MHz Maritime Guard Band Ch16

Worldwide Emergency Frequencies and Websites
3.815 MHz Caribbean Emergency & Weather Net www.cewn.org
14.265 MHz Salvation Army Network www.satern.org
14.325 MHz Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org

For additional information kindly contact:
Emil Rodriguez
President
Belize Amateur Radio Club
v31er@barc.bz
www.barc.bz

END OF RELEASE