Amateur radio emergency communication plays a crucial role in disaster situations and emergencies. The POTA (Public, Operator, Technician, Amateur) communication activity also provides enthusiasts with a regular means of communication and recreation, while indirectly laying the groundwork for emergency communication.
As is well known, public parks of various levels and types within the country serve as open public spaces. In emergency situations, these parks often function as emergency shelters, providing a safe place for people to receive assistance and find temporary accommodation, thereby effectively safeguarding the lives and safety of citizens.
Regarding the form of these emergency shelters, amateur radio enthusiasts may already be aware of the common practice of using parks as emergency shelters in special circumstances. By strengthening the coverage of POTA park nodes and encouraging more self-organized communication activities among enthusiasts within the parks, we can ensure that enthusiasts are better able to utilize their amateur radio emergency communication capabilities within these park settings during emergencies, thereby contributing a small measure to safeguarding people's lives and property.
- This article will explore the mutual support and skill enhancement provided by amateur radio emergency communication and POTA (Portable Operation, Total Communication) activities during emergencies, as well as their everyday benefits.
First, let's introduce the basic details of the POTA (Pacific Ocean Transatlantic) activity:
Parks on the Air® (POTA)It is an activity where enthusiasts connect with each other and transform their local environment from a home setting to an outdoor park. The aim is to encourage amateur radio operators to develop their skills, build community, showcase their hobby to the public, and demonstrate emergency preparedness and communication in emergency situations. The activity provides access to thousands of parks worldwide, each offering a unique experience. The operating mode and season will also affect the experience.
Similar to the IOTA concept, POTA aims to encourage communication with amateur radio stations located in parks around the world. Previously, mainland China and Hong Kong had not participated in this project. However, after relevant coordination, the POTA park connectivity activity began in mainland China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) in September 2023. Information about related parks is gradually being completed, and amateur radio enthusiasts in BY (presumably a specific region) are now able to participate in the full DXCC program through POTA, adding an interesting element to their amateur radio activities.
After a period of development, the POTA Sky Park activity group in the BY region believes that it is time to explain how the POTA park's communication activities can help with emergency communications. This will help POTA enthusiasts clarify their thinking and provide a simple, easy-to-use amateur radio emergency communication plan.
The POTA park-wide communication activities can be summarized as follows:
1、Park node coverage network:
According to the rules of the world POTA activity, all POTA park nodes are open parks on public land; each park refers to a park with a unique park number (in China: BY-xxxx). The list of all parks and the list of park geographical locations (KML files) can be downloaded from the official website of the world POTA activity (lists and KML files for all parks, including those in the United States and Japan, are available for download). The geographical location information of the parks published on the official website only indicates the approximate location of the park. During the POTA activity, enthusiasts should use the geographical location information to find the park's vicinity, then independently search for the specific address of the park and enter the path to the park.
Due to the unique numbering system for POTA park nodes, the park's geographical location only represents the approximate location of the park. Furthermore, the park number and its approximate geographical location can be found on the website. This allows for the creation of a nationwide map or emergency refuge map of amateur radio emergency communication points within China after establishing a network. Amateur radio enthusiasts can familiarize themselves with local POTA park nodes in their daily lives. In the event of various situations and disasters of different levels, enthusiasts can quickly reach designated emergency refuges while providing assistance to the best of their ability.
Furthermore, the map of emergency communication points across China, based on the POTA park map, also incorporates geographical landmarks. This allows rescue teams and those in need to report the park number, location, and distance, which can then be used to confirm a general direction.
2. Familiarity with the park's geographical location and terrain features:
- The geographical location and terrain features within the park will affect the speed of amateur radio emergency communication operations.
- As mentioned earlier, POTA events typically choose local parks as communication sites. Through multiple POTA activities, enthusiasts can become familiar with the geographical relationships between local parks and gradually familiarize themselves with different locations within the same park and the various terrains of different parks. This allows enthusiasts to pre-understand factors such as the elevation differences in local parks, which directly affect the speed at which emergency communication operations are initiated.
3. Familiarity with park buildings and facilities:
- The buildings and facilities within the park will also have a location-based impact on amateur radio emergency communication activities.
- During the POTA event, participants gradually learn and understand the location of buildings within the park and existing emergency shelter infrastructure, such as emergency power, command, water supply facilities, temporary shelters, and helicopter landing areas.
- During a disaster, this allows enthusiasts to quickly identify specific locations within the park that are suitable for storing amateur radio emergency communication equipment. This facilitates seamless physical connection with on-site command departments, provides convenient access to communication energy and personnel water sources, and identifies areas where communication signals may be obstructed or require avoidance. It also helps determine which park facilities and equipment can be quickly used or repaired after the communication equipment is deployed.
4、Actual experience of park climate and electromagnetic environment conditions:
- The park's climate conditions and electromagnetic environment also affect the success rate and communication capabilities of amateur radio emergency communication operations.
- On the one hand, the climate conditions within the park have a certain impact on amateur radio emergency communication equipment and operators, such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature, humidity, etc. For example, when the temperature in the park is too low, the equipment and operator need to take precautions against the cold. When the humidity in the park is too high, it is necessary to prevent the communication equipment from getting wet. In parks with frequent winds, operators need to constantly pay attention to the stability of the emergency communication equipment.
- On the other hand, amateur radio enthusiasts often intentionally seek out locations with good electromagnetic environments for their outdoor activities. They frequently visit relevant parks to participate in POTA (Parks on The Air) events, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the electromagnetic environment of the park or surrounding area. Long-term participation in POTA activities provides practical experience in setting up equipment and observing environmental conditions, which can be used as a reference for emergency communication. This ultimately influences the success rate of amateur radio emergency communications.
There is a deep connection between the POTA park-to-park communication activities and amateur radio emergency communications. The POTA park-to-park activities not only provide enthusiasts with opportunities to showcase themselves and learn from each other, but also lay a solid foundation for emergency communications in urgent situations. Each park-to-park event is an accumulation of technology and experience, as well as preparation for future emergencies. Therefore, as amateur radio enthusiasts, we should pay more attention to this legal requirement of emergency communication, while honing our skills through regular park-to-park activities. By participating in POTA park-to-park events, we can familiarize ourselves with the local situation and make it more effective in everyday life, thereby preparing adequately for emergencies.
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