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Amateur (Ham) Radio Communications
Since its inception the USC, Center for Public Health
Preparedness (USC-CPHP) has become a
driving force in the public health preparedness community, proactively using Ham
radio to provide a layer of redundancy that is desperately needed.
Our primary focus is to provide a backup system that will
support healthcare facilities and ESF-8
responders during major disasters or mass casualty events.
The USC Ham Coordinating Committee (UHCC) was
established by the USC-CPHP in 2004 to increase public awareness and to support
the Palmetto 800 MHz radio system during public health emergencies.
The UHCC and its members are currently working closely with the Healthcare Emergency
Amateur Radio Team (HEART), a demonstration project established in 2005
to provide dedicated hand-held radio coverage for all medical facilities
throughout the City of Charleston and the tri-county area. The HEART
system was designed to be used daily for amateur radio communications
and to support hospital, Red Cross, SKYWARN, and local government
emergency communications when needed. This system remains under the
control of amateur radio operators and is regulated by FCC rules. At
this time, our
center is advocating for the
expansion of the statewide system known as SCHEART.
The Ham project is funded by the USC-CPHP grant from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and supported through the efforts and resources provided by members of the USC Hams Coordinating Committee (UHCC). This committee consists of
members from the
Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), Carolina Amateur Radio
Emergency Services (CARES), the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC),
the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA), the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), South Carolina
Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), South Carolina Educational
Television (ETV), the South Carolina Healthcare
Emergency Amateur Radio Team (HEART)
and other concerned state and local agencies/organizations.
For more information about the SCHEART project, facility assessments,
and training classes, please contact Bill Dease,
deasew@gwm.sc.edu.
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