News Release

COLUMBIA CITY — The Whitley County Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the American Radio Relay League’s National Field Day, June 22-23.

The event will take place at the Whitley County 4-H Fairgrounds, 680 W. Squawbuck Road, Columbia City, and will run from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, through 2 p.m. Sunday, June 23.

Field Day is considered ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 ham radio operators throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to their communities and to the country. The day combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933 and remains the most popular event in ham radio, according to information on the ARRL website.

“Amateur radio operators provide a critical public service for our community,” wrote Edward Scott, president of the Whitley County Amateur Radio Club, in a press release about the event. “During times of disaster, we can provide reliable communications when the normal infrastructure is offline.

“Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and trained in the art and science of radio communication and basic electronics theory, we own and maintain our own communications equipment and are prohibited by federal law from receiving payment for our services. ARRL, our national organization, has built relationships with several served agencies including FEMA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and many others.

“This public service is easily extended during non-emergency civic events, such as parades, marathons and street festivals.”

For more information about ARRL and Field Day, visit the ARRL website at arrl.org.