Dutchess County Emergency Response to Facilitate
Amateur Radio Licensing Class
Poughkeepsie, NY… The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response in partnership with the Mt. Beacon and QSY Society Amateur Radio Clubs, will host a two-day Technician Level amateur radio licensing class on Saturday, January 28th from 8:00am to 5:00pm and on Sunday, January 29th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. FCC license exams will be administered at 1:00pm on Sunday, January 29th and are open to all wishing to obtain a license or upgrade their existing license. A $15 FCC exam fee will be applied for all participants taking the exam. Amateur radio or ham radio operators are equipped with the ability to communicate across towns, around the world, or even into space without the use of the internet or a cell phone, proving to be an essential resource during emergencies. For example, amateur radio services kept New York City agencies in touch with each other after their command center was destroyed during the 9/11 tragedy. Additionally, ham radio operators provide essential support during significant natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2013 flooding in Colorado.
The training and exam will be held at the Dutchess County Department of Emergence Response, located at 392 Creek Road in the Town of Hyde Park. The two-day licensing class is open to the public and free to attend; however, pre-registration is required. It is recommended participants obtain the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 3rd Editionprior to the first session. To pre-register and to learn more, call William Baker at (845) 235-2048, email KC2LIX@hvc.rr.com or visit: http://www.arrl.org/courses/poughkeepsie-ny-12601-1.
