BUENA PARK RACES - OUR ACTIVITIES & BACKGROUND

We were founded in 1987 as Buena Park RACES.

Our monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each Month. We have a weekly net on Monday evenings except holidays. call 714-731-2433 for details.

We participated in the following events in 2008:

• We provided Communications during the major fire in Orange County.
• Communications in San Diego after their fire before telephone service was restored.
• A County Wide Disaster Drill with CERT teams from all over Orange County. (VMAD) We provided simulated Disaster Communications for them (as we would do in an actual disaster.
• A County Wide All City and County Communications Disaster Drill. This is held at least once each year.
• An all day RACES Academy learning about new communications technologies available to us in a disaster.
• We also have a monthly meeting to improve our communications ability, and can also attend a monthly meeting with other community volunteers at the Buena Park Police Department. They teach us about safety, police communications, CPR, Defibrillator operation, safe driving, and many other topics. The instructors are well qualified. The training isn't hard - and it can be fun.

We operate, install, & maintain our radios in our two Emergency Operating Centers (EOC'S), and in our van.

Our training makes us eligible to assist in disasters outside our own city of Buena Park. RACES has a formal procedure for requesting assistance from other RACES groups. This has been utilized many times in Orange County and Southern California.

When a disaster strikes, we don't just get on our radios and talk about the disaster with other hams. We obtain help for others. We are capable of providing communications when all other forms of communication are overloaded or not working. Ham Radio operators provided most of the communications capabilities for the first few days after Katrina, and the Florida hurricanes the year before.

We have HF, VHF & UHF voice capabilities, and we have ATV from our van to Buena Park's EOC. Our communications can be direct with no equipment required except two radios. We also have GMRS voice capabilities.

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