(L-R) ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell, W6CF; Sacramento Valley SEC Dave Thorne, K6SOJ; Sacramento Valley SM Jerry Boyd, K6BZ; ARRL Field Organization/Public Service Team Leader Steve Ewald, WV1X. [ARRL Photos]

NEWINGTON, CT, May 2, 2002--The third year for EMCOMM was the charm! This year, nearly 150 amateurs, non-amateurs and state and local government officials attended the two-day emergency communications conference April 20-21 near Redding, California. EMCOMM 2002 was sponsored by the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section.

"EMCOMM has grown each year it has been presented," said ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Manager Jerry Boyd, K6BZ. "Seven states were represented as the reputation of this event continues to spread."

A full schedule of talks and discussions covered a variety of topics. Bill Pennington, WA6SLA--an employee of the California State Office of Emergency Services in Sacramento--provided an update on "mutual aid" policies and procedures. Bill Frazier, W7ARC, talked about his experiences as a volunteer for the American Red Cross in New York City after the World Trade Center attack and highlighted the importance of "cross training" with served agencies, such as The Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

ARRL Field Organization/Public Service Team Leader Steve Ewald, WV1X, represented ARRL Headquarters at the event. He addressed the League's mission to provide support and guidance in public service and emergency communication issues. The ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course series also was a featured topic. Ewald stressed the importance of working with other responding organizations during an incident.

Special event station W6E operated from EMCOMM 2002 April 20-21.

Sacramento Valley Section Emergency Coordinator Dave Thorne, K6SOJ--who chaired the convention--provided a historical perspective on the role of volunteer organizations in America. Paul Cavnar, NN7B, reported on Amateur Radio involvement in the 2002 Winter Olympics in the Salt Lake City, Utah, vicinity.

Forum topics included ready kits, radiograms, traffic handling, the Incident Command System, and SKYWARN. The American Red Cross presented its "Introduction to Disaster Services" course for credit, and the National Weather Service offered a weather-spotter class.

The Humboldt Amateur Radio Club's communications vehicle won the group trophy for best-equipped.

EMCOMM 2002 also hosted a mobile communication vehicle competition. The vehicles were on display throughout Saturday on the campus of Bishop Quinn High School in Palo Cedro, where the conference took place. A panel of three judges followed established criteria to determine which organization and individual had the best-equipped emergency communication vehicles.

The Humboldt County Amateur Radio Club, W6ZZK, won the group category, and Mac McCulley, W6MAC, walked away with the individual category trophy.

ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell, W6CF, also was among the attendees at EMCOMM 2002.