01/25/2026
For all the HAM radio operators in West Virginia
Good Morning,
The Acting Director of the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) Dr. Matthew Blackwood, has authorized the activation of our statewide Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) program due to the impending severe winter storm.
We request that all available licensed amateur radio operators throughout the State of West Virginia assist their communities by monitoring their local repeaters and HF frequencies for critical information that may not have been shared directly with their local 911 center through traditional forms of communication. If needed (due to possible power outages and primary communication failures), relay the following information to the WVEMD State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). This may include (but is not limited to):
Critical life-threatening emergencies or dependencies such as oxygen or insulin
Damage to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, or electrical equipment
Chemical spills or hazardous material releases
Sudden weather changes such as significant or rapid icing
Any emergency where all other communications are unavailable
WVEMD will monitor traffic between the hours of 7am and 7pm on the following frequencies:
HF
80 Meters: 3.810 MHz (± 5 kHz contingent upon other traffic) or
40 Meters: 7.235 MHz (± 5 kHz contingent upon other traffic)
2 Meters:
147.270 MHz (Tone: 123.0 Hz) and 146.880 MHz (Tone: 203.5 Hz)
Echolink Node: 4 3 9 3 5 4
The WVEMD Amateur Radio Club (WV8EMD) will host nets at 12pm and 6pm EST beginning tomorrow (1/25/2026) on the 146.880 MHz (linked to the ARA network) repeater, followed by an HF net at 12:30pm and 6:30pm EST.
Additional assistance will be provided by the WV Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) group between the hours of 7pm and 7am EST on the HF frequencies listed above. They will help support our RACES activation by relaying critical information to the WVEMD SEOC via the agency’s Watch Center.
We ask your assistance during this activation by reducing non-emergency traffic on local repeaters, and encourage all WV amateur radio operators to monitor any incoming radio traffic (i.e. Amateur radio simplex, CB, GMRS, FRS, etc.) for emergencies.
Participation in this RACES activation helps build capacity in our state. We thank you for assisting us in providing lifesaving services and capabilities to its citizens.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reply to this email.
73,
Jonathan B Rodriguez
State Planning Officer
Geosciences | Atmospheric Science | Space Weather - Subject Matter Expert
WV Department of Homeland Security
Emergency Management Division
Preparedness & Response Section
