The Rancho Bernardo Emergency Radio Service (RBERS) was organized in 1986 to provide reliable communications during a disaster such as an earthquake, damaging storm, or other similar events. Experience had shown that the more conventional means of communication such as the telephone could not be relied upon. The introduction of the cellular phone, thought to be an answer to the communication problem, also proved to be unreliable because of circuit overloading. Historically, amateur radio has been the sole media to provide reliable communications. Experience during the great Alaskan earthquake, the Los Angeles Northridge quake, and the Texas City ship explosion reaffirmed the value and necessity for amateur radio communications. In most instances amateur radio has been the only form of communication.

The local RBERS group, consisting of approximately twenty-five federally licensed operators, meets every second Saturday morning of the month at 8:00 a.m. at Coco's and actively engages in simulated disaster exercises throughout the year.

The group wishes to expand its membership and is looking for residents who are interested in communications and wish to make a significant contribution to the welfare of their community.   Net operations conducted every Saturday morning at 0800 hours, local time on simplex frequency 146.550 MHz.  For more information , call Jack Barrett, local leader, at (858) 592-6527; bverticalace@aol.com.

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