The Alachua County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) will participate in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise this weekend.  

The field day exercise will run from 10 a.m. to sundown on Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday and will take place at the Alachua County Veterans Memorial (218 SE 24th St).  

The event demonstrates how amateur radio works reliably under any conditions. Ham radio operates without the use of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure.  

In addition to the national exercise, there will be special educational opportunities for all ages. These include videos, displays, and the chance to use short-wave radio and send a “radio email.” Tours will also be available of the main radio building. Water and refreshments will be available.  

The ARES program works with public safety communications and the county and state disaster programs communications programs.  

“The Emergency Communications Volunteers are a committed group who are granted a wide range of unique capabilities by the Federal Communications Commission,” said Alachua County Emergency Management Program Coordinator Dalton Herding in a press release. “They leverage these unique capabilities to support public safety efforts across Alachua County. 

Visitors will be given the chance to sign up for a free educational program put on by the ARES program in August that leads to an entry-level FCC license. To learn more about ARES, visit the National Association of Amateur Radio website.