Being prepared for a disaster, whether man made or natural, is a key function of the Tyler County Office of Emergency Management. We regularly analyze and plan for disasters of all types in order to prepare and protect the citizens of Tyler County. One of the main areas we focus on is communications during disaster response and recovery when typical means of communicating may not be possible.
During a disaster, the common infrastructure we use everyday like electric power lines, telephone lines and internet lines may become damaged or non-operational. This could eliminate your ability to use telephone, internet and even cellular devices to learn what is happening and get critical information.
The Tyler County OEM overcomes these communications issues by using amateur (HAM) radio. This radio communication can reach around the world in some cases, so it is very useful even in large scale disasters like hurricanes or floods. Listening in to amateur radio frequencies with a scanner can be a good way to get some extra information during an emergency, but in order to transmit you will need an amateur radio license.
Important Frequencies
In the event of an emergency or disaster you will want to listen to the AM/FM radio for important information, and if you have a scanner or ham radio you may want to listen to various emergency service frequencies to get some additional info. There are many different radio frequencies used for the various departments in Tyler County. The following link lists many of those frequencies so you can add them to your scanner or ham radio.
Get Involved
Amateur radio is a fun and engaging hobby, and Tyler County OEM is always looking for more amateur radio operators that can help provide communications preparedness and assistance during emergencies. If you would like to learn more about amateur radio and how to get your license, we have provided some helpful links below. You can also contact us and we can connect you with local amateur radio operators who would be happy to help.
The Tyler County Office of Emergency Management partners with Wood County Emergency Communications. Their website is full of great information about amateur radio, how to get started and much more.
The Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the premier organization for all things amateur radio. Their website has an extensive library of training and education resources to help learn about amateur radio and how to get your license.