READFIELD – Members of the Kennebec County Amateur Radio Emergency Service will participate in the American Radio Relay League’s Field Day this weekend. Members will work ’round the clock to set up field radio communication stations, get on the air, and contact thousands of other operators in the United States and Canada.

The exercise is an annual test of emergency preparedness sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio. Thousands of amateur radio operators/groups set up elaborate temporary communications facilities consisting of multiple, self-contained HF/VHF/UHF stations using SSB, CW, FM and digital modes of transmission.

The field day operations place a premium on developing skills to meet the challenges of emergency preparedness as well as acquainting the public with the capabilities of amateur radio.

The Kennebec team will also deploy and test the capabilities of the new Kennebec County Communications and Command trailer under conditions similar to those it would encounter during an actual field deployment, while at the same time allowing participants, guests, and the visiting public a chance to view this addition to the county’s emergency preparedness arsenal in action.