Transatlantic Emergency Call

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On Monday, May 18, Kent County Amateur Radio Club member Ken Dix, KB2KBD, picked up an emergency call on the 146.91 MHz repeater: Richard Tashner, N2EO, of Massapequa, New York, was suffering a medical emergency and could not reach his phone to call for help.

He was close enough to grab the microphone to his DMR radio.

Tashner called for help and Maxis Johnston, GM0MRJ, answered his call.

Johnston then called for "anyone in the states" and was heard by Dix on the 91 machine, which was linked to the North American talk group. Dix called a police department in New York near Tashner, and help was sent.

Dix said the dispatcher in New York was able to hear part of the call and was amazed at how an amateur radio communication had gone from New York to Scotland to Delaware and then back to New York. The dispatcher was also surprised at how quickly the information had been relayed across the Atlantic.

The 146.91 MHz repeater near Woodside, Delaware, is set on C4FM Fusion and is linked to DMR on "America's Net." The repeater is located at the Delaware State Communications complex.

Kudos to the operators for their alertness and willingness to take the emergency call and get the information relayed to the proper personnel. Amateur Radio at its finest!

Jerry Palmer, N3KRX, Sussex County AUXCOMM Training Officer; ARRL Emergency Communications Course Mentor; and Assistant Emergency Coordinator, Kent County, Delaware


UK Radio Ham Answers Call for Help

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UK radio amateur Maxis Johnston GM0MRJ answered a call for help made on DMR by an amateur in Massapequa, New York

When Richard Tashner, N2EO, of Massapequa, New York, suffered a medical emergency on May 18, his DMR radio was closer than his phone. His call for help was answered by Maxis Johnston, GM0MRJ, who put out a call for “anyone in the states.”

Kent County Amateur Radio Club member Ken Dix, KB2KBD, in Delaware heard the call on the local 146.91 MHz repeater, which was linked to the North American talk group. Dix called authorities in Tashner’s vicinity, and help was dispatched.

Dix said the dispatcher in New York was able to hear part of the call and was amazed at how an amateur radio communication had gone from New York to Scotland to Delaware and then back to New York. The dispatcher expressed surprise at how quickly the information had been relayed across the Atlantic. The Delaware repeater, at the Delaware State Communications complex, is set on C4FM Fusion and linked to DMR on “America's Net.”


Ham Radio Saved My Life!

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Alden Sumner Jones IV, KC1JWR, of Bennington, Vermont, is thankful for amateur radio after he suffered a medical incident and lost consciousness on 15th June 2020 while hiking with others along a remote section of the Long Trail, not far from his home

An EMT from Appalachian Mountain Rescue (AMR), who was hiking nearby, saw Jones pass out but was unable to connect with 911 via his cell phone.

Jones, 41, regained consciousness and was successful in contacting Ron Wonderlick, AG1W, via the Northern Berkshire Amateur Radio Club’s K1FFK repeater on Mount Greylock, and Wonderlick initiated what turned into an 8-hour effort to get Jones off the trail and to a medical facility, acting as a relay among Jones, emergency crews, and other agencies involved.

“The Vermont State Police also received assistance from several licensed amateur radio operators who helped facilitate communications, greatly assisting in the rescue.”
— Bennington Post