National Amateur Radio Operators Appreciation Day

The towers are up and the radio signals active.

In honor or Amateur Radio Operators Appreciation Day the Muskingum County Amateur Radio Emergency Services Organization is hosting a field day.

“The purpose of this event is so we can show the agencies in our county what our capabilities are so that if they need us, they know what we’re able to do for them,” said Public Information Officer Walter Kreis.

Kreis says although being an amateur operator is a hobby, it can be incredibly useful.

“We can be used in power outages,” he said. “When communication systems are overloaded and just when there’s a large event and when all other communications operators are busy, they can bring us in to supplement that, the communications operation.”

Kreis says there are three different levels of operators, but it is relatively easy to get your license.

The group will be at Putnam Hill Park until 2 p.m. tomorrow.