Emergency radio service participates in statewide exercise

NORWALK — Members of the Huron County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) unit will gather at Veterans Memorial Lake Park on Saturday to test their abilities and equipment. Huron County ARES Emergency Services radio operators will send and received messages to surrounding counties as well as the District One for Northwest Ohio and the State Emergency Operations Center. These messages included situational awareness and damage assessment reports following a simulated infrastructure failure. Huron County ARES members will practice setting up field expedient radio equipment and operations stations. Contacts and messages will attempt to be made between all of Ohio's 88 counties. In addition to setting up and testing the equipment, this provides an opportunity to showcase their abilities, equipment and services. The community is encouraged to stop by shelter 1 at the Norwalk reservoir from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Huron County and across the country works to offer emergency communications to public service and government agencies during times of disaster or general need of the public. Huron County ARES also serves to encourage interest in and provide information about amateur radio. If you are interested in more information about volunteering with Huron County ARES, email KC8WIT@gmail.com