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Coffeeville Amateur Radio Club says ARRL grant will fund communications trailer; asks county to help fund power system
Summary
Jacob McCauley, president of the Coffeeville Amateur Radio Club, told the Montgomery County Board that the club won an ARRL grant to build a mobile communications trailer for outreach and emergency preparedness and requested county support for a roughly $3,000 off-grid power unit.
Jacob McCauley, president of the Coffeeville Amateur Radio Club, told the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners the club had been awarded a grant from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to build a mobile communications trailer intended for public outreach, STEM education and emergency communications. McCauley said the trailer "is now in, and we are starting the build as of this week," and asked the county to consider supporting the project—s off-grid power system.
McCauley said the trailer will be used for community outreach at county events and schools and as a rapid-deploy communications asset when cell and internet services fail. He described the project as educational and as bolstering local emergency preparedness: "Amateur radio plays a huge part in emergency preparedness," he said, noting the service was one of the few communication paths that remained during past disasters.
The club asked the county to help with a Victron off-grid power unit that would allow the trailer to run AC and DC loads from a 15-amp supply and charge onboard batteries; McCauley gave a ballpark figure of about $3,000 for the unit and said the volunteers would perform installation work. County staff (Rick) said he and McCauley have been in contact and that—s an initiative the county can explore; commissioners asked staff to follow up and look for grant or in-kind support.
McCauley said the club numbers about 30–35 members with roughly 20–25 active volunteers and that the trailer will be used for events, scouts programs and exercises with local emergency partners. He also said the club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations and that the trailer will help with STEM outreach in schools.
The board expressed support and asked staff to work with the club to identify county-owned capabilities or funding options. No formal county financial commitment was made at the meeting; staff were asked to report back with options.
Ending: Staff to consult with the club and the other commissioner when available, and to report funding or grant options at a subsequent meeting.
