NIH EmComm Support

NIHRAC provides volunteer emergency communications support to the National Institutes of Health. This emergency communications support capability is sponsored by and collaborates with the NIH Division of Emergency Preparedness and Coordination (DEPC) of the NIH Office of Research Services (ORS) and the National Library of Medicine's Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC). Club members' participation on these activities is optional.

The emergency communications support function of NIHRAC also benefits from and provides support to the emergency communications services of the Bethesda Partnership Emergency Preparedness Partnership. The NIHRAC is an active contributor to BHEPP, and enabled the development of the BMERS emergency email system.

To support this function, NIHRAC has the following resources:

• Volunteer radio operators trained on emergency communications.

• A well-equipped radio station room, with access to restrooms and other facilities for extended operations.

• HF transceivers (base stations and portable).

• VHF transceivers (base stations and portable).

• Winlink radio stations (portable and base).

• VHF hand-held radios.

• A variety of HF and VHF antennas (roof mounted and portable).

• Emergency power systems.

• Spare radio equipment, tools, and supplies.

• 2 meter and 70 cm FM repeaters.

• Access to BHEPPnet, a dedicated laser-based network that joins BHEPP hospital's Emergency Operations Centers.

• EchoLink connectivity for Internet-based voice communications.

• Access to the NIH campus network.

• NIH land-line telephone service.