A large-scale cyber-attack or power outage in which all communication is lost. In such a disaster, one organization is of vital importance: the radio amateurs of the Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service (DARES). The organization wants more publicity and money from the government for maintenance and purchase of equipment. “We sometimes compare ourselves to the voluntary fire brigade. They also receive a fee.”
Jan van Moll is regional coordinator of DARES in Central, West and Southeast Brabant. “When everything is down, we come into action,” he says. When all communication fails, the amateur radio operators of DARES can set up their own network at lightning speed with their radio equipment via short wave. They can then support emergency services via antennas at any random location by sending voice messages and data.
“For us in the Netherlands, large-scale disasters may seem a bit far away, but our volunteers are prepared for them. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have our own power supply and we are independent of the mobile networks,” the regional coordinator explains further.
“We now pay for the maintenance of our broadcasting equipment ourselves.”
Although the DARES Foundation is officially recognized by the government, the organization appears to be hardly known. According to Marcel de Jong of the Central and West Brabant Security Region, there is still a world to be won as far as DARES is concerned. “To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of it until recently. But I am impressed with what the radio amateurs can offer us in this area. Our equipment is all high-tech and therefore also vulnerable. When this no longer works, DARES can certainly help us.”
DARES has several dozen volunteers in Brabant. Jan van Moll: “We sometimes compare ourselves to volunteer firefighters. They are also not going to put out a fire with a fire truck they bought themselves. When we set up a communication network, we do use our own equipment. Think of broadcasting equipment and generators. Maintaining this costs money and we would like to receive compensation for this.”
“The government could certainly help financially.”
Marcel de Jong of the security region thinks that the government could certainly help financially. According to him, it will mainly depend on how threats develop. “Of course it is a hobby for the radio amateurs, but if we ask them to support us, you will also have to support them. Like firefighters, for example. At the same time, this means that we can also set certain requirements for them.”
In the Central and West Brabant Security Region, plans have now been made to involve the radio amateurs of DARES in a future exercise. Jan van Moll: “We are very happy with that. Even if it is only to gain more understanding for each other and to increase our brand awareness.”
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