“Our city’s vast and complex communications system, is indebted to the many trained amateur radio volunteers, who are efficient and dependable and lend a much needed hand in times of crisis or disaster.

They are an invaluable part of our city’s communication network.”

NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, September 20, 1997

Amateur Radio plays a key role in supplementing, rather than supplanting existing communications. It is not even intended to be the first alternative in a communications emergency, but, rather, an option that can be used “when all else fails.”

The Joint Commission’s requirement that hospitals prepare an emergency operations plan specifying alternative forms of communication to use during emergencies and establishing back-up communications links, including amateur radio stations, if primary communications systems fail.

Emergency Medical Rescue of New York City supports this contingency by being able to utilize amateur radio from the dispatch console, or the response vehicles in the unlikely event of the primary public safety radio systems being unavailable.