Escambia Ham Radio Operators Practice Emergency Communications During Annual Field Day

June 28, 2026

Local amateur radio operators gathered on Saturday at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center on W Street to participate in the annual ARRL Field Day, an event highlighting emergency preparedness and public service.

The event, which serves as the largest annual amateur radio operating event in North America, moved to the Emergency Operations Center this year after previously being held at Ashton Brosnaham Park. Local hobbyists set up temporary stations to practice portable communication techniques and demonstrate the enduring capability of amateur radio when traditional power grids, internet access, and cellular networks fail.

“We are out here doing the 2026 Field Day,” said Paul Stefon, K7PCS, president of the Five Flags Amateur Radio Association. “Groups all over the country practice emergency communications and get ready for storm season and catastrophes. And we’re here to introduce ham radio to the public and push for the community to know that there is ham radio available when the system or grid goes down.”

Stefon discovered ham radio after Hurricane Ivan.

“After Ivan, I couldn’t talk to anybody, and that scared me to death,” he said. “So I went and took a class, and now I know how to get ahold of somebody when catastrophe hits.”

The ham operators have an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) room that is actually inside the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), creating a bridge during a disaster to the outside world. They operate three stations—for long distance and local communications, along with a digital station that can be used for things like email or even securely and privately sending a prescription from a doctor inside the EOC.

After Hurricane Ivan, amateur radio operators were the only ones communicating in Escambia County, according to the group.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Throughout Saturday, operators demonstrated voice, digital, and various other communication methods to connect with participants locally, nationally, and internationally. The open-house style gathering allowed members of the public to visit without a license, explore the equipment firsthand, and learn how amateur radio supports disaster relief, weather tracking, and community readiness. The entire event was operated only on generator and backup power to simulate an actual emergency.

The Field Day event continues until noon on Sunday at the Escambia County EOC, 6575 North W Street.

The 2026 exercise brought together a coalition of local organizations focused on emergency readiness, including the Five Flags Amateur Radio Association, Escambia County Emergency Management, Escambia County ARES, BRACE, and Escambia Search and Rescue. The weekend event followed a formal presentation on June 17, 2026, where the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners issued an official proclamation recognizing the vital public service provided by local radio operators.

The Five Flags Amateur Radio Association will offer amateur radio classes to prepare people for the FCC license test beginning in September at Pensacola State College. The class is just $20 and will meet on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 until 8:30 p.m. from September 14 until November 19.  To register, click here. Or for more information, email Gene Bannon, KB4HAH, at kb4ahah@bellsouth.net.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES