Radio operators at Castle Park in Port Coquitlam will be contacting people from around the globe as they take part in the annual emergency preparedness Field Day on June 28.
The event, which is a worldwide amateur radio competition, will take place between noon and 4 p.m. and residents are encouraged to drop by and watch.
Visitors who make radio contact through the Get On The Air (GOTA) station will help the team earn points as it competes to be the highest-ranked amateur radio team in its category. In 2013, the efforts paid off as the team placed second in their category in B.C. and third in Canada. There will also be information displays and equipment demonstrations.
Field Day is also an important emergency preparedness exercise for EPCom.
From 5 p.m. Friday to noon Sunday, EPCom volunteers will eat, sleep and operate the City's radio equipment at the park for a full 24 hours as part of the competition. The team must be prepared to be totally self-sufficient - including using alternate power sources, such as solar power, to run the City's equipment - in an attempt to simulate conditions that could be encountered during an emergency or disaster.
Castle Park (2252 Castle Cres.) is off Citadel Drive. For more information about EPCOM go to www.epcom.ca or email [email protected]. Course listings and volunteer opportunities are also available at www.portcoquitlam.ca/ep.
