Karen Fenton has some advice for her fellow Richmond residents if a strong earthquake or other calamity ever strikes the city.
“In a major disaster, look for the houses with the antennas,” she says.
Fenton is one of the unofficial leaders of the West Contra Costa Emergency Radio Group (WCCERG), a cohort of amateur ham radio and general mobile radio service operators in Richmond and surrounding communities.
Their primary objective is to provide emergency communication during a disaster that knocks out power and/or cell phone service or requires an evacuation. Such incidents could include anything from a large fire to a toxic air event or a terrorist attack.
The group, formed in 2018 by East Richmond Heights and Marina Bay residents, has grown to include dozens of radio operators citywide and in El Cerrito, Kensington and other communities. They hope to recruit operators from Pinole, Hercules and Rodeo.
The voluntary informal collective stays prepared by keeping equipment such as two-way radios powered up and portable antennas ready to be deployed.
Many WCCERG members have solar power at their homes to keep devices charged and repeater antennas on their roofs, equipment that bounces signals to other locations and allows ham operators to talk to people miles away.
Their two-way battery-powered radio systems allow operators to talk to Richmond emergency personnel during disasters as well as provide a network for citizens to reach family members and friends in the region. The group also coordinates with the Richmond Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a volunteer organization that trains neighborhood leaders to handle emergencies during disasters where first responders may not be immediately available.
Learn about ham radio
What: Ham radio training session
When: Sat., Aug. 15, 8:05 a.m., training for all license classes, San Pablo Police Training Center, 2300 El Portal, Ste. C, San Pablo
“In our group, you have people who want to help others,” Fenton said. “Ham radio is here to help the neighborhoods.”
Ham radio volunteers are on standby in a crisis
The home of Karen and Jay Fenton in the Marina Bay-Breakers neighborhood is one of the centers of the WCCERG network.
Their garage is home to a number of ham radios and general mobile radio service walkie-talkies that are kept charged by solar panels on the roof. The modern set-up belies the technology’s origins. The term “ham radio” was coined in the 1800s by telegraph operators who referred to amateur radio users as “ham-fisted,” meaning they were as clumsy as someone with hams for hands.
“We do this so the equipment is always ready to go,” said Jay Fenton. “We’re operating with our own power supply.”
The mobile radio units have a reach within the WCCERG region while ham radios can broadcast significantly farther.
The antenna atop the Fentons’ home has a long-range reach as far away as repeater stations in Morgan Hill to the south and Ukiah to the north.
Jay Fenton, an engineer by trade, has also built some 24-foot portable antenna towers that can be taken where they’re needed, such as on the street or a nearby park. The antennas are stored in pieces but can be assembled in five minutes.
He also built a small mobile solar-powered recharging station with 16 outlets that fits in the back of his truck. It can charge ham radios and walkie-talkies as well as cell phones and laptop computers.
“It’s a pretty neat little system,” he said. “In an emergency, batteries are essential.”
The couple owned energy-related companies from 1976 until their retirement in 2022. They became interested in ham radio about 15 years ago after participating in CERT.
There are WCCERG members who enjoy ham radio as a hobby, talking to people worldwide. However, the Fentons are more focused on the emergency preparedness aspect.
“We’re a back-up system when our community doesn’t have power,” Karen Fenton said. “We help put order to chaos.
Diane Dulmage, a Marina Bay-Shores resident, said the Fentons got her interested in mobile radios about a decade ago. She eventually obtained her ham radio license, a federal requirement for anyone wishing to legally transmit radio signals.
Operators must show the Federal Communications Commission that they can operate equipment safely and won’t interfere with communication between vital services.
Dulmage also became more involved in emergency preparation, including participating in some CERT training, which shows residents how to do things such as extricate someone trapped underneath something or put out small fires.
“I felt if I could do something and contribute to the community, then I might as well do it,” she said.
Dulmage said it’s important for people to realize that cell phone service can be interrupted or overwhelmed by the high volume of calls during a disaster.
“Radios are one simple way to overcome that,” she said. “In a major emergency, we can all hear what’s going on.”
Dulmage notes that training is important. She has learned how to properly use equipment and follow proper protocols. For example, she said, it’s important to use simple language and keep conversations short during an emergency.
Dulmage also knows how to do a rapid damage assessment on her home or a neighbor’s home.
“It’s all about understanding what people’s needs are,” she said.
Gary Harris, a Marina Bay resident since 1998 who now lives in the Bayfront neighborhood, worked at the National Park Service for 40 years before retiring in 2012. In 2019, he attended a training session with CERT.
“I became aware of the importance of emergency communication during a disaster,” he said.
Harris said the 2017 hurricane in Puerto Rico illustrates what can happen. After that disaster, only 5% of Puerto Rico residents had electricity and only 12% had cell phone service.
“Puerto Rico is a prime example of the things you might have to overcome in a natural disaster, he said.
“Landlines and cell phones may be severely damaged during a natural disaster,” Harris added. “Ham radios may be our only means of communication.”
Like the Fentons and Dulmage, Harris doesn’t use his ham radio for fun.
“I don’t view it as a hobby. It’s a tool in my tool box,” he said.
Harris notes that a low frequency ham radio, which has a signal that can travel hundreds of miles, costs just $50 while the higher frequency systems that can communicate worldwide cost between $4,000 and $15,000.
Harris said he’d rather spend less money and focus on local emergency preparedness.
“We need to prepare for the chaos that will happen during a real-world event,” Harris said.
“”
“We help put order to chaos.“
— Karen Fenton, west Contra Costa emergency radio operator
City council member Soheila Bana, who is active in wildfire prevention efforts in her east Richmond district, says community-wide disaster preparedness is crucial.
“Emergency communication is an essential component of preparedness for a public disaster such as an earthquake,” Bana told Richmondside. “Richmond sits on top of the Hayward Fault and has several major hazardous materials pipelines. We need residents to participate in emergency communications to establish communication between residents and emergency responders when cell phones and other conventional communication systems fail, helping to ensure quick disaster recovery.”
Bana says WCCERG and other amateur radio volunteers are providing a valuable service.
“I am grateful to the [emergency communication] volunteers who have built an operational communications network throughout the city of Richmond and established a direct connection with the city’s dispatch center,” she said. “They are also connected to the broader countywide network and, when needed, can communicate with the rest of the world. They continue to proactively recruit and train residents, strengthening our community’s emergency preparedness and disaster recovery capabilities. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and active volunteer network.”
Regarding the expense and frequencies for worldwide communication, obviously it’s more complicated than Harris said, but a usable station that can communicate internationally can be built for under $1000. Also, the frequencies where this activity occurs are lower than the frequencies Harris uses for his regional communication. The GMRS radios referenced communicate in the “Ultra High Frequency” range. Worldwide communications are common in the “High Frequency” range. Other regional ham radio activity occurs in the “Very High Frequency” range. Honestly, you could write a whole article on the equipment and capabilities of communication in the HF range and its usefulness in a grid-down emergency. Harris seems to dismiss the HF range as the realm of non-serious hobbyists, but it does have usefulness in emergencies as well.
Thanks for posting this article. In an emergency, ham and gmrs radios are going to be a VERY important means of communication.
There is a lot of information on various youtube channels to educate yourself on the equipment and licensing. The gmrs radios are inexpensive and only require a call sign issued by the FCC, no test or license like ham radio.
The frs (family radio system) radios are even cheaper, and although they are not as powerful as ham and gmrs radios, they are a viable option for micro-local communication.
Ran Bush – Richmond Annex
KK6MUX / WRFV637