New emergency radio coordinator named for Deschutes County

Hal Lock communicates with the Amateur Radio Emergency System from his home in Crossroads west of Sisters. photo by Jim Fisher A new emergency radio coordinator for the Deschutes Amateur Radio Emergency Service is ready to provide radio communications for emergency services agencies in Deschutes County.

Amateur radio operators jump into action if agencies' normal communications fail.

Hal Lock, a Sisters-area resident living in Crossroads, was named to this volunteer position last summer.

"Each Oregon county has an emergency coordinator that represents amateur radio people in that county," Lock said. "Our main job is that if there is some type of disaster -- tornado, wildfire, volcanic eruption, any disaster -- and normal radio communications of fire departments, law enforcement and other agencies fail, we provide radio communications.

"As long as these agencies operate, we are not needed, but if their communications go down, we are the back-up."

Lock took on the Deschutes County role in July shortly after moving to Central Oregon. Wayne Jack, another Sisters-area resident, was serving both as coordinator for amateur radio services in the county and as the coordinator for all Oregon counties.

Lock had become acquainted with Jack during the 2003 B&B Complex Fire when Jack requested Lock and others to provide relief for overworked amateur radio operators during that lengthy emergency.

"There are six amateur radio districts in Oregon and I report to my district coordinator who lives in Klamath Falls who takes care of six counties," Lock said. "Here in Deschutes County, I have about 33 people that I can call on when help is needed. Statewide, I would guess there are about 400 amateur radio people available."

Lock was emergency coordinator for Lane County before moving to Central Oregon.

"During my time there, I was involved with two floods in Mapleton, one in 1996 when they had a hundred-year flood and then again in 1998 when they had another hundred-year flood," Lock said. "During these times, the telephone system went down, the cell system was up and operating, but batteries were going down without power to recharge them. We provided communications within the flood area, back to Lane County as well as to the State Office of Emergency Services."

Lock was first licensed for amateur radio operation in 1989, looking ahead to having a hobby after his retirement from Pacific Northwest Bell telephone system. He had worked for the telephone company in California and Lake Tahoe before accepting a promotion to Grants Pass and then on to Eugene where he retired in 1988. Hal and his wife retired to Florence on the Oregon coast.

They lived there before moving to Sisters last February.

Amateur radio was a hobby that he had always been interested in pursuing, but he never had the time while working. Lock is a now an amateur extra-class -- the top classification -- and has taught classes for others.

Local amateur radio operators have assisted the local American Red Cross in setting up their radio system. Following their help to the Oregon Fire Marshal's Office during the B&B Complex Fire, the Oregon section has been asked to be that office's radio communicators on any disaster. One of three amateur teams will be dispatched to operate the Fire Marshal's radio system. The state system can also be called on in the event of a national emergency if communications help is needed.

"I see this volunteer work as a way to pay back to the local community and the amateur radio system for all the good things that I have realized from living here and being an amateur radio operator," Lock added.