Wild Trails Grant Awarded to Chattanooga Amateur Radio Club

Wild Trails recently gifted $2,000 to the Chattanooga Amateur Radio Club. Wild Trails Director Randy Whorton shown above handing the check to CARC President Jeff Martin and Secretary Robert Berman. This grant will help this organization purchase equipment to help our community in many ways. This will allow them to quickly set up what they and Homeland Security call an Incident Command Center. In addition to helping out emergency communication in any disaster type emergency where power and phone is down, they will be called any time there is a significant search and rescue emergency out in the woods, cliffs or caves where there in no cell coverage. Also, they will be assisting us during our trail races where there is minimal or no cell coverage. Here is an excerpt from their grant request.

Project name: Mobile Communications Platform  (MCP)

Mission Statement: The CARC is a chartered 501(c) 3 corporation whose mission is to further the art, science, and participation in amateur radio. One part of participation is community service in the forms of disaster communications and public service communications. “When all else fails” is the mantra of amateur radio.

Wild Trails Benefit: The MCP will facilitate communications during events such as trail running  in areas where there are limited or no communications by cell phones and regular emergency communications radios. This will reduce the liabilities inherent in the sport and increase its attractiveness to new trail users. Increased interest in trail running will lead to protection and expansion of trails.

Benefit to all trail user groups: The MCP will be available for many different public service events. First priority is supplementary or primary communications for protection of life and property when disasters disable the usual means of governmental emergency response communication. Next priority will be given to users who have made the MCP possible with their investments, and events of major significance to Hamilton County.