Providence Journal , RI
June 25 2004

Radio operators plan disaster drill

The Providence Radio Association will hold its annual emergency
communications exercise this weekend at Bevertail State Park in
Jamestown.

Amateur radio operators will set up three shortwave radio stations
that are powered by solar or wind sources and will operate their
communications system continuously from Saturday afternoon through
Sunday afternoon.

“This is a practice exercise,” said Frank DePetrillo, association
president. “We’ve done this as far back as the ’38 hurricane.” He
said amateur radio operators have helped transmit messages during
other storms and during the earthquake in Armenia in 1988, “when we
handled hundreds of health and welfare messages in the aftermath,”
DePetrillo said.

The event is sponsored by the national American Radio Relay League.