From the ARRL Letter of 2/2/07:
“Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through for your family and community”
is the theme of the League’s 2007 public relations campaign. The Emergency Radio Website debuted this week. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says the 2007 PR initiative picks up the momentum ARRL public information officers started
during the just-ended “Hello” campaign.“As we begin launching the new emergency communications campaign, the
friendships and good will developed in Hello will aid in future promotions
of Amateur Radio,” Pitts said. “For 100 years, radio in its many forms has
saved lives and aided in crises. We have a great legacy and a bright
future.”The new Web site is a partner to the “Ham Radio . . . Getting the message
through for your family and community” brochure now available and, in fact,
already starting to make the rounds. “If an emergency or disaster should
happen, the new ‘Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through’ site has the
capability to quickly upload current information, providing PIOs with words
and pictures to circulate to the media while the event is still news,” Pitts
explained.As both the brochure and the “Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through”
Web site note: “Amateur Radio . . . has consistently been the most reliable
means of communication in emergencies when other systems failed or were
overloaded.” The campaign stresses that ham radio works and works well and
it doesn’t require any external infrastructure, such as telephone lines or
even the Internet, to get the message through.The Web site provides page space for emergency communication and disaster
relief organizations to tell about their work. “So far, SKYWARN, MARS,
SATERN and RACES have taken advantage of our offer, showing the versatility
of ham radio in disasters and emergencies,” Pitts says, “and more are
expected.”The campaign also emphasizes that ham radio is fun and a good way to keep in
touch with friends or family. “You can have this capability for yourself and
your family,” the campaign points out, inviting members of the general
public to get an Amateur Radio license and become active in emergency
communication through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) or other
organization. A “How to Get Started” tab on the Web site offers step-by-step
instructions.
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