SSTV AT SANTA BARBARA EM COMMS DRILL
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Fifteen Califoornia Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers equipped with slow-scan television 
assisted with a voluntary wildfire evacuation drill on Saturday morning, April 28th. An exercise 
involving residents of over 900 homes near the city of Santa Barbara.

During the event, five ARES teams were stationed at key intersections where winding, narrow roads 
merged into the main street out of a mountain community. The amateurs sent slow scan photos in a 
pre-arranged rotation, with the camera number appearing in the picture. Each number corresponding 
to the assigned intersection so officials could easily identify the location on large area maps.

Receiving stations were set up at the City’s Emergency Operating Center. According to Santa Barbara 
City Fire Battalion Chief John Ahlman, the amateur radio pictures were the only continuous, 
real-time information his department received from the field.

This is not the first time ham radio has been a part of Santa Barbara emergency communications 
drills. Fire officials were so impressed with the information provided by the ARES slow-scan TV at 
a smaller drill two years ago, that they invited the ham radio group back to participate in this one 
as well. (N6ZKJ)
(AR-Newsline)