Earth Hour Emergency Communication Test a Success

The emergency communications radio system was tested in Southern Ontario during Earth Hour recently proving the importance of amateur radio operators and repeater organizations in the event of a widespread disaster.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) April 6, 2008 -- The Toronto FM Communications Society in conjunction with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) conducted a test of the amateur radio repeater system in the Southern Ontario area during Earth Hour.

During the Earth Hour, the net control station operating from the EMO mobile command centre "Mobile 1" logged in excess of 60 reporting stations all operating from emergency back-up power sources and ranging in area from Hamilton to Oshawa and north to Barrie.

"It was exciting to hear all of the ham radio operators trying to check into this special event," said Graham Gillespie, president of TFMCS. "There are hundreds of licensed amateur radio operators in Southern Ontario and to use a network of 2-way radios to communicate without primary hydro service is the fundamental backbone of emergency communication preparedness and cooperation."

About Toronto FM Communications Society:
TFMCS is a non-profit volunteer organization that operates amateur radio repeater sites both on the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario as well as the highest elevation in Southern Ontario atop the Skyloft Ski Resort in Uxbridge, Ontario. The organization operates on 8 frequencies ranging from 29 MHz up to 1.2GHz with VE3RPT being the oldest licensed 2M repeater in all of Canada. TFMCS is also developing new technologies for digital linking of repeaters.

For further information:
Graham Gillespie, President
Toronto FM Communications Society
www.tfmcs.com
(905) 686-7488

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