BayComm continues to recruit residents

You might remember BayComm as being a “radio group” that began almost 5 years ago, made up of residents from Bay and surrounding suburbs. I haven’t written an article in over a year, but I again appeal to all residents to consider joining our volunteer group, after asking yourself the following questions:

• How important is staying in contact with my family and others in the community during an emergency?
• How often do I rely on my phone and the internet to communicate?
• Will standard means of communications always be available to me, or do I feel that they are highly vulnerable to being disabled?
• Do I have interest in volunteering with a group that aims to provide grassroots communications to my family and other residents, via two-way radio?

Our membership has hovered around 20 households for some time now, but to create a true “safety net” of communications among residents in the six Westshore suburbs, that number needs to be more in the 50-100 range.

Only about 25 percent of our members are radio enthusiasts. The rest are residents who understand the value of having a means of communicating with others, when standard methods of communication are compromised. The radio becomes a “means to an end.” Therefore, even if you have no prior experience with operating a two-way radio, we will help you to get established and trained in methods that will help you to keep in contact with others in the community, at a time when you need critical information.

We have increased the number of frequencies and non-licensed bands that we operate on, in an effort to create back-up and redundancy. As a first responder with the Bay Village auxiliary police and through CERT, my connectivity to BayComm offers you the ability to get help (or to help other residents) more quickly and effectively than those who do not have a radio back-up. We train and prepare ourselves for an event that we hope will never occur, but we are also a group that takes a realistic approach to the “what-if” scenarios.

Members are residents of the community, just like yourself. They come from all walks of life, and everyone’s reason for becoming a part of BayComm is a little different. We operate well as a team, and we have routine social engagements, both on and off the radio. Your level of involvement in the group would be completely up to you. I will ensure that you have the equipment and tools that are right for your own situation, and I will support you fully in your efforts to be prepared.

If you’re interested in providing this level of community service, please call me at 216-337-6327, to talk it through.