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Amateur radio volunteers tell board they’re a public‑safety backup, cite hundreds of annual check‑ins
Summary
Members of the Amateur Radio Club told the Elko TV District board that their ARES weekly nets draw about 65 check‑ins a month and argued their volunteer work is a critical communication backup for emergencies; the board discussed a proposed 99‑year site lease to secure long‑term access.
Kent, a TV district board member and the Amateur Radio Club presenter, told the board he serves as president of the club and as district emergency coordinator for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services for Northeastern Nevada and asked members to review the handout he left explaining ARES.
Kent said the club’s weekly ARES net is a regular readiness exercise and offered participation figures: “So right now, we have a figure of, about 65 people a month check‑in to our repeater sites,” and later emphasized annual participation: “We have 707 hundred and 80 people a year checking into these nets just here in Elko County.” The presenter described linkages to nearby sites (Wells, Jackpot, Twin Falls and Battle Mountain) and said the TV district’s mountaintop sites are central to that coverage.
The board praised the volunteers’ work and discussed a proposal to secure a long‑term site lease for the club. Chair (S1) said the board proposed a 99‑year lease with the Amateur Radio Club to “continue well beyond most of the folks in this room,” arguing it would provide stability for the program. A public commenter, Laurie Gilbert of Elko Broadcasting Company, urged close cooperation between amateur radio and local emergency planning and noted the role of terrestrial signals if federal emergency structures change.
Board members and attendees also emphasized volunteer recruitment and youth licensing. Speaker 6 noted a recent school licensing effort that resulted in 17 students receiving amateur radio licenses, a point the club cited as evidence of local outreach and training. The board indicated it will continue to provide site space and occasional upgrades to support the program.
