World Radio Day is an international annual celebration of radio, why we love it and why we need it today more than ever. Their February 2016 events are focused on emergency broadcasts. Here is a TUC Radio special documentary for the occasion.
This is part of the story of a community that has built their station in response to a devastating fire in their own signal area at the Point Reyes Peninsula - determined to be ready for the next emergency. KWMR in Point Reyes Station has been on the air since 1995 with a rich offering of music and public affairs. But - more than most other community radio stations they have built infrastructure, trained staff and volunteers specifically to respond to emergencies. They coordinate with all the local emergency services to be able to help in times of need.
At 3:20 am on a Sunday morning in August 2014 a 6.0 earthquake hit Napa County, less than an hour north of San Francisco. At least 15,000 residents lost power and most of them also lost the use of cell phones and internet. With many cell phones now reduced to an expensive flashlight people located their radio - and heard only pre-programmed music from all commercial stations - with one exception, KWMR, a small, non-commercial, community radio station far away from the epicenter.
You will hear some of the call-ins to the station that were recorded that night and an interview with the station engineer Richard Dillman.
Alert for radio stations: This is an inspiring model and blueprint for any radio station considering building an emergency response system in their signal area.
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