I was never very interested in emergency communications. Perhaps it’s because I live in Michigan, which according to World Atlas, is the second safest state as far as natural disasters go.

With what has gone on lately in North Carolina I’m rethinking my position. I still don’t think that every ham has to go whole hog (pun intended) on emergency communications, but we should have the ability to communicate without grid power and some knowledge of emergency communications techniques and protocols.

I’ve always recommended that hams join the ARRL, but recent events have certainly tested my resolve. The ARRL seems to lurch from calamity to calamity. Earlier this year, there was the decision to discontinue sending copies of the print version of QST to members. Then, in May, there was a cyber attack on the ARRL’s shaky IT infrastructure.