Radio club using old tools to keep SWFL safe during emergencies

The Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club is using communication tools old and new to keep SWFL safe during emergencies.

“The idea is not to be dependent on the infrastructure. We can set up antennas and radios to communicate across the country and across the world,” said Joseph Ryan with the radio club.

A large selection of radios and antennas are now getting checked and used to make sure SWFL stays on a communication grid in the event an emergency strikes.

From sending Morse Code messages to answering cryptic text, this group makes the word “amateur” sound far fetched.

Member Dan Blashill lost his eyesight, but that’s not stopping his mission.

“I did some work during hurricane Irma on one of our statewide channels,” Blashill said.

He uses radio technology to make sure emergency officials are able to communicate anytime, anywhere.

“The public can depend on us if there were to be a storm or disaster and the communication systems would go down, we would get the messages through that needed to get through about health and welfare,” Blashill said.

He says he’d also like to see younger people less dependent on the internet to communicate.

“There is no internet involved. There’s no internet links. It’s just radio to radio,” Blashill said.

These radios could mean the difference between life or death in some situations.

The club will be putting their skills to the test Saturday night at the North Fort Myers Community Park. The event is free to attend and open to the public wanting to learn more about how amateur radios work.

For more information on the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club, visit their website here.