WICEN in Action: Local Capability and International Cooperation

A recent WIA National News report from Richard Murnane VK2SKY highlighted two very different examples of how amateur radio emergency communications organisations contribute beyond simply providing radios. On 15 August, WICEN NSW, as a support squad of VRA Rescue NSW, was activated during the search for a missing bushwalker in the rugged Nattai National Park near Mittagong. On this occasion the requirement wasn't communications equipment, but people. Richard joined a VRA search team tackling difficult Grade 5 terrain, including rocky escarpments, ravines and dense undergrowth. The wider operation grew into a major multi-agency response involving hundreds of personnel and specialist resources. Tragically, the bushwalker was subsequently found deceased, and the WIA and amateur radio community extend their sincere condolences to the family and friends.

The deployment demonstrates an important aspect of WICEN's local capability. Amateur radio emergency communications volunteers can bring more than operating skills to an incident. Training, navigation, field experience, self-sufficiency and the ability to work within a structured emergency response organisation can all be valuable when circumstances demand it. WICEN's relationship with VRA Rescue NSW allows those volunteer capabilities to be integrated into a much larger emergency response. It is a practical reminder that the value of amateur radio in emergency communications isn't necessarily measured by how many radios are switched on.

The same WIA News report provided a fascinating example of international amateur radio collaboration. While WICEN NSW Training Officer Ian VK2AMZ was visiting Oahu in Hawaii following an earthquake that caused local infrastructure damage and power outages, WICEN's counterparts in the Philippine Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network, PAREDN, wanted to test whether their Winlink-to-SMS gateway could deliver messages into the affected area. Ian provided the receiving end of the experiment and successfully received an SMS generated from a Winlink radio message. PAREDN has developed an extensive Winlink emergency communications network in the Philippines, including gateways and facilities for welfare traffic and Winlink-to-SMS messaging. From search teams in the Australian bush to digital messages crossing international borders, these examples show what trained amateur radio volunteers, resilient communications technology and cooperation between emergency communications groups can achieve.

PAREDN – Philippine Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network -
WICEN NSW – Facebook - Link

WICEN Amateur Radio Communications – Facebook Group - Link

VK4 WICEN EmComms - Link

Page Last Updated: Thursday, 03 Sep 2026 at 20:18 hours by Justin Giles-clark

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