Emergency Disasters Services in the ALM division are �On-The-Air.�

Jackson, MS (March 5, 2014) –  The FCC recently approved a new call sign for The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) station at the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi (ALM) Division of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services center. 

The new station, WB5ALM (William Booth 5 Alabama Louisiana Mississippi) was first used to check in to the International SATERN Net on March 5.  The new call sign will be used by both the fixed station at the Divisional EDS Center, as well as for mobile operations from the SATERN Coordinator’s vehicle or the Territorial Communications Trailer.

The acquisition of the specialized call sign culminates the nearly year-long process of building the Division’s new SATERN station at the ALM Divisional EDS Center.  The new station is capable of being completely remote controlled via the internet.  Territorial SATERN Net Manager Ken Standard, AD5XJ, says, “The goal is to allow for a select group of qualified, trained Net Control Operators to operate a state-of-the art SATERN station that is centrally located within the ALM Division and the Southern Territory from their home location anywhere in the Territory.”  Territorial SATERN Coordinator Bill Feist – WB8BZH, adds, “This new station will make it easier to recruit SATERN operators to operate the station during a disaster or emergency by reducing the need for them to be physically present at the EDS Center.”

The SATERN station at the ALM Divisional EDS Center has been in development for nearly a year and is referred to by many radio enthusiasts as “state-of-the-art.”