The Cupertino Courier
News
Photograph by Kevin White
Fari Aberg (foreground) and Vince La Porta contact other amateur radio users during the 2006 Amateur Radio Field Day in front of the Cupertino Library late last month.
Ham volunteers an asset to city
By SAMANTHA ROBERTSON
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake didn't just shake the foundation of Fari Aberg's house. It rattled her belief that Cupertino was the correct place to live.
"The earthquake shook me really hard and, at the time, I had two young children," said the HP software designer. "I didn't know if I could go through that again."
Instead of running from her fears, Aberg decided to take a more active approach: She volunteered with the city in numerous capacities, including as a block leader of the Cupertino Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
CARES trains and organizes amateur--or ham--radio volunteers in Cupertino to provide professional emergency communications. After training, each member plays a specific role based on his or her expertise.
"I started attending CARES meetings a few years ago, and was certified as a ham radio operator last year," she said. "When I heard that they needed a block leader for my neighborhood, I volunteered."
When the next earthquake hits, the residents in her Wilson Park area will turn to her as a communications medium if phone lines are disrupted by the shaking. She'll provide a communications link through the ham radio set up in her home on Blaney Street.
CARES emergency coordinator Jim Oberhofer said in the past few years, the federal government has encouraged U.S. citizens across the country to get ham radio licenses.
"Last I heard, there were about 8,000 ham radio operators in this country, and the number is probably growing," he said. Becoming an operator costs less than $200 for equipment and certification fees.
Jack Rowe, a Sunnyvale resident and radio history buff, said the removal of Morse code from the federal certification requirements has made it possible for any person to become an efficient ham radio operator.
"My friend's wife was certified not too long ago, and she had no prior knowledge or experience with ham radios," he said.
Oberhofer said radio is still the primary means of communication in emergency situations because of its simplicity and independence from complicated infrastructures.
"Modern communications systems, such as phones and cell phones, rely on power and antenna towers, and those are the first things to go in an earthquake," he said.
Aberg and other "hams" practiced what skills they learned through their respective CARES affiliates at the Emergency Radio Operator Field Day, June 24 at the Cupertino Library Field.
The county-wide drill, in which operators made contact with emergency service people throughout Santa Clara County, certified Aberg's commitment as a ham radio volunteer.
"I highly recommend being a ham radio volunteer to anyone who wants to help their community," she said.
For more information about Cupertino CARES, contact emergency coordinator Jim Oberhofer at 408.839.8798 or visit www.cupertinoares.org.
