Public Event Radio Service

TCARES is proud to offer local motherlode event organizers a free radio communications service. Local organization can benefit from our club of over 100 radio operators, eager to serve the public with our technical expertise and county-wide radio repeater system.

What is a public service event? Ham radio operators provide volunteer communications support for various activities, including foot races, hikes, bicycle rides, fairs, parades, and other public gatherings, to supplement the communications available for an event, in the interest of the safety of the participants and staff in the event, or in the interest of the safety of the general public; and to practice our communications skills.

TCARES RADIO COMMAND CENTER During the Old Mill Run.

What is included?

  • Operations Command Center (Tent, Canopy, Table, Radio Gear)
  • Pre and Post event briefings with organizer
  • FCC licensed radio operators
  • High visibility vests for Radio Operators
  • Use of Incident Command System protocols
  • Use of wide area mountain top radio repeater system
  • Dozens of field deployed stations, vehicle or pedestrian
  • Pairing with organizer’s aid, check point and rest stations
  • Monitoring of progress and safety of participants
  • Event organizer liaison service (radio operator assigned to follow organizer)
  • Participant tracking service (bib numbers)
  • Incident identification and reporting service (injury, breakdown, dropout)
  • Rapid, organized, professional distribution of incident status
  • Support and Gear (SAG) roaming along course
  • Last participant tracking and course sweep

Use Ham Radio Operators during your next race/run/ride!

We reserve the right to decline any communications request for any reason; including, but not limited to; that a request does not conform with our noncommercial status, that conflicts with any provision in FCC Part 97 Rules, that a request occurs on a date that has already been reserved for another activity, where our schedule is already full, where a request is received without sufficient time in to recruit volunteers to staff an event. We may also limit the total number of events that we agree to staff in any given month, or annually. We reserve the right to give preference to local events and local community-based non-profit organizations that we have prior positive experience with, and where, in our opinion, our volunteer communication services provide the greatest public good.