Amateur radio operators invite you to become a ham

With the recent power outages and the severe weather, some local amateur radio operators say ham radios could literally save your life.

Steven Taylor is one of thousands of government-licensed ham radio operators in the state. When normal lines of communication break down, he says ham radio can be a vital tool for getting information both in and out.

“When the power goes out you just kind of automatically go to a set frequency and when someone asks for information you provide that information,” said Taylor. “There’s been a bad situation happen and they’ve been able to communicate and get emergency services in their much quicker than they would have been otherwise.”

Taylor says ham radio operators have helped more times than he can remember.

“I was helping my daughter move back from Logan and was riding with my son and he had a problem with his car. Before I finished my conversation on the radio with my daughter in Logan, we had several people pulling over and offering their services,” said Taylor.

Saturday, Taylor’s offering a ham radio class. Since he’s announced it, more than 80 people have signed up.

The class takes place at Eastern Idaho Technical College from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.