"The history of emergency communications by Western NY Amateur Radio operators begins in mid December, 1929 when a heavy sleet storm hit western and northern New York downing phone and power lines and isolating many cities. Then Western New York Section Communications Manager, W8PJ, organized the Section to provide communication for power companies, telephone, and railroads.
In 1935 a disasterous flood took out communications and a good bit more in Ithaca, NY. This disaster, along with eleven others that year prompted the formation of the ARRL Emergency Corps.
The Western New York Section's ARES organization is detailed below:
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North Syracuse, NY 13212 |
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Position Open |
3079 Ferguson Corners Rd.
Penn Yan, NY 14527
Counties Served: Ontario, Wayne, Yates
281 Hilltop Drive
Elma, NY 14059
Counties Served: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee,
Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming.
4862 Thornwood Dr.
Liverpool, NY 13088-5823
Counties Served: Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,
Seneca.
RR1 Box 18
Milford, NY 13807
Counties Served: Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Otsego.
Counties Served: Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler.
328 Conklin Ave.
Binghamton, NY 13903
Counties Served: Broome, Cortland, Tioga, Tompkins.
One of the important emergency services that an Amateur Radio Operator can perform within the Western NY Section is that of Skywarn Storm Spotter.
Skywarn is a program of the NOAA National Weather Service. The weather service realizes that even with all of the doppler radars, maps, and satellites the most valuable data gatherer is the human right in the field.
There are three NOAA weather centers that operate Skywarn in the Western NY Section: Albany, Binghamton and Buffalo. All that is required to be a storm spotter is to attend one of the free training sessions the centers offer around the Section usually during the Spring. Consult the links below for more information about the Skywarn Center nearest you.
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In the Western NY Section the Albany Skywarn Center covers Herkimer County.
The Binghamton Skywarn Center covers Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates Counties.
The Buffalo Skywarn Center covers Erie, Genesee, Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua, Allegany, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans,
Wayne, and Wyoming Counties.