ELCH donates trailer to local radio club ( From the Review )
East Liverpool City Hospital recently donated a portable trailer to the Triangle Amateur Radio Club that can be used in emergency situations. The trailer was owned by the hospital and previously used as a mobile dentist office in conjunction with a dental sealant program. For the last few years, however, the trailer sat unused after grant money no longer funded the program. Because the radio club and ELCH work together in disaster preparedness and emergency situations, it seemed a natural fit that the trailer be used for a mobile radio command center. As a result, the hospital transferred ownership of the trailer to the club. Rick Feldman and Gary Amato, both members of the radio club, worked to make modifications to the trailer. They replaced more than 400 screws on the outside of the unit and built cabinets inside to hold the radio equipment. They also repaired some wiring and installed a 12-volt battery system.
We are so thankful for this donation, because it makes it much easier for us to transport our radio equipment to a location, explained Feldman. This gives us a place out of the weather and we can go directly to the scene of an emergency. He further explained that amateur radio operators can help establish communication links to locations all across the world and are particularly helpful in disaster situations, such as Hurricane Katrina. We can now travel within a 50-mile radius with this trailer, Amato commented. It was an ideal situation for the club and it will ultimately help the hospital, too.
With their New Air Conditioned Command Center and Self Contained generator as well as the antenna trailer , the TARC are ready for any communication needs.
