A First For Hams at Nuclear Cleanup Site
/When there's an emergency, you can't have too many ways to communicate - particularly when the crisis involves nuclear materials. That's why here in the US, the Department of Energy recently asked amateur radio operators to be part of a drill at a plant where the agency conducts nuclear waste management and decontamination.
It was a first for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Paducah [PUH-DUKE-KUH], Kentucky: responding to a mock emergency at a government-owned site that conducts nuclear deactivations and spent-fuel cleanup. Paducah is one of more than 100 government sites across the country handled by the Energy Department's Emergency Management program, which conducts nuclear remediation.
The hams, first-responders at numerous natural disasters throughout Kentucky, were now providing backup in a nuclear scenario.
According to a report on the department website, the hams got the word out, successfully transmitting emails over the radio from their mobile station inside a truck, reaching department headquarters in Washington, DC, as well as the project office in nearby Kentucky.
“Exercises like this not only enhance our preparedness but also strengthen ties with local responders who share our commitment to protecting people and the environment.”
Myrna Redfield, program manager of the Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, said that the first-time inclusion of ham radio meant that such scenarios gave an extra layer of resiliency to keep communication uninterrupted.
