Almost a year ago, 90 percent of Chile was plunged into darkness during a national blackout, causing the government to declare a state of emergency. Recalling that disaster recently, the mayor of the municipality of Villa Alemana, Nelson Estay, said that [quote] "the only ones who were functioning and available were the amateur radio operators." [endquote]

If anything of that magnitude should ever happen again - or, for that matter, should almost any emergency occur at all - the municipality knows that the radio operators are there. Now, however, it has been formalized. The Los Molinos Amateur Radio Club has signed an agreement with Villa Alemana in support of the Communal Emergency Operations Committee

The club's president, Lorenzo Passalacqua, CA2PJP, said the agreement strengthens an already healthy working relationship established some time ago. He said [quote] "All that was missing was the official signing of this agreement." [endquote]