GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Members of the Clay County Amateur Radio Emergency Service are honing in on their skills and preparedness for hurricane season.
The group gathered at Camp Chowenwaw on Sunday in Green Cove Springs.
The radio operators are one of the first lines of defense when a storm hits. When disaster strikes and communication is down, members of the team take action.
“Our radio communications are a backup to the infrastructure for police fire public service and things like that,” said Scott Roberts, spokesman for Clay County Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
Amateur radio operators are licensed personnel.
Their equipment doesn’t rely on the internet, phones or towers which is why it can be lifesaving during natural disasters like hurricanes.
Adrian Gray became an operator at just 18 years old and said it can be rewarding.
“It’s the fact that you’re giving back to the community. It really is that fact more than anything else,” Gray said.
They use a simple antenna to make contact during emergencies and that’s exactly what they did during Hurricane Matthew when communications were lost.
The goal of the group is to have operators all over the state and help as many people as possible.
“That’s what we do and that’s why we support, and it feels good doing it,” Gray said.