Members of the Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club have been serving the community since the club's creation in 1978. They have passed crucial emergency traffic to the Angelina County Emergency Operations Center and from there to the state operations center in Austin. In one of the group's most high profile activations, hams provided support during the recovery efforts after the Columbia Space Shuttle broke apart upon re-entry in 2003.
According to local media reports, operations are about to improve for the radio volunteers as a new antenna gets installed on the center's tower to provide local, regional and statewide communications with new VHF, UHF and HF capabilities.
In addition to providing on-site support for major community events such as festivals and bike races, the club and its members will now be even more prepared for whatever kind of need comes its way.
