Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society
Archives
October 1, 2026
ARES Activation
On Thursday, August 27, a gas leak at Blalack Middle School in Carrollton prompted the evacuation of students and staff to Standridge Stadium.
City of Carrollton Office of Emergency Management requested the activation of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch-Addison ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) group. As it turned out, our comms support wasn’t required but ARES radio operators were on the scene “just in case.”
All students were safely returned to their parents or guardians and classes resumed on Friday. Many thanks to all public safety and school officials and to our local ARES hams.
A Night to Remember
Joe Wigner, K5MGY, has been fascinated by the tragic events surrounding the RMS Titanic for a long time. The aftermath brought about significant changes to maritime safety and to radio. At the August 13, 2026, meeting he explained what happened that April night in 1912, the role radio operators played in rescuing the survivors, and how radio was forever changed.
Hams Help During Disaster
At our July 9, 2026, meeting, ARRL North Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Mike Nelson, K5YX, talked about the role of Amateur Radio during the tragic flooding in south Texas during July of 2025. Amateur Radio operators supported private and government responders to fill communication gaps caused by cellular outages and dead zones caused by terrain. Check out his presentation on our YouTube channel.