Amateur radio operators will be gathering at the Okotoks Fire Hall this weekend for ARRL Field Day to test out emergency communications abilities.

Vince d'Eon, Secretary for Foothills Amateur Radio Society, says ham radio is not only a hobby, but an important communications tool.

" Ham radio is probably one of the oldest hobbies around. We're granted licence from the Canadian Government to experiment with radio. We talk to people all over the world, just because we want to," he said.

ARRL Field Day will take place from noon Saturday until noon Sunday, testing emergency readiness and providing a show case to the public.

d'Eon, says ham radio is not only of interest to enthusiasts, but a very useful tool in natural disasters.

" They say that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Some would say that in 2013, we were lucky enough to have helped out with the flood. I had 55 radio amateurs surrounding the town of High River, providing a communications net," said D'eon.

d'Eon says ironically, the society was setting up for their annual field day in 2013 when the high river floods hit. The radio operators worked around the clock to keep High River connected to the outside world in the early stages of the floods.

Ham radio operators have made headlines for their work in wildfires, floods, storms and tornadoes in north america and globally, providing communications during disasters when normal systems fail.

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