PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Office of Emergency Management’s RACES communications team will participate in the Annual Field Day Challenge (ARRL) on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, at Johnson Beach, Lake Parsippany.
RACES volunteers will operate continuously for 24 hours, testing equipment and operators by contacting ham radio stations nationwide. The public is encouraged to visit from 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
RACES, which stands for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, is the volunteer communications arm of the Office of Emergency Management. As stipulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, its mission is to support governmental communications infrastructure during crises.
This year’s event is particularly significant due to predictions of an active hurricane season. “Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Office of Emergency Management Director Eric Hubner.
For more information about RACES or the Office of Emergency Management, click here or contact Eric Hubner, Director, at ehubner@parsippany.net.
To learn about becoming an amateur radio operator, visit the Amateur Radio Relay League click here.
