CRESTVIEW — After eight years of operating in Dorcas Fire Station 42 west of Crestview, the North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club seeks a home closer to town.
“Our hosts at Dorcas were wonderful,” club President Ron Mahn said. “They’ve taken awesome care of us…"
Mahn said the matter arose in June when the fire district asked the club to enter into a lease for Station 42.
“…If we’re going to go into a lease, something closer to town would make more sense,” Mahn said.
“Most of the members are from Crestview so we’re trying to come back to town and have a greater presence here,” NOARC vice president Alex Barthé said.
Barthé said the club must clear its equipment out of the Deer Springs Road firehouse by the end of the month.
The club has submitted an offer on foreclosed property on North Ferdon Boulevard. Even if their offer is accepted, it will still be several months before the club could move in.
“Right now we need a place to meet,” Barthé said. “We can play gypsy and go to different places, but we really need a place of our own where we can have our equipment and teach classes.”
In addition to providing volunteer communications services during emergencies and community events, the 40-member group offers licensing instruction and education about radio technology.
“We’re trying to develop more of a training environment so we can enhance the skills of those who are already ham operators, and train people who are interested in becoming hams,” Barthé said, using the colloquial term for amateur radio enthusiasts.
Requirements for the new location include a place that provides "opportunities to offer classes, training programs, a place to operate, and a place to put up antennas,” Mahn said.
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WHAT DOES NOARC DO?
The North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club provides training for ham radio licenses, and voluntary communications services to community events or organizations including The Race for Lace, The Crestview Christmas parade, The Crestview Fall Festival, and The Triple-B festival. It also provides radio demonstrations in area schools, supports area Boy Scouts during Jamboree on the Air and ham radio merit badge qualifying, and provides emergency communications through the Okaloosa County Emergency Operations office in the event of storms or other disasters; and provides communications services at storm shelters when cellular service fails.
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The North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club welcomes contributions toward building or buying a new clubhouse. It also seeks people interested in becoming amateur radio operators. Contact NOARC President Ron Mahn, KI5FR@arrl.net, 398-7524; or Vice President Alex Barthé, 791-4517. See www.w4aaz.org for more information.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Amateur radio club seeks Crestview home