The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) is a network of

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

operators that provide emergency communications between

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

posts, and pass messages with

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

information between the Salvation Army and the general public. The group is open to amateur radio operators of all license classes, and of any (or no) religious faith. SATERN routinely operates on

VHF Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...

and HF ham bands, but may operate any mode on any amateur radio frequency during an event. During the

Northeast blackout of 2003 The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and most parts of the Canadian province of Ontario on Thursday, August 14, 2003, beginning just after 4:10 p.m. ...

the group was active in

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

as well as the Salvation Army headquarters in Manhattan. When an F-5 Tornado hit Joplin, Missouri on May 5, 2011, the SATERN units were activated as well. They provided communications and helped with the distribution of water, ice, personnel items, food, and medical care. Food trucks were dispatched to many affected areas to provide meals to victims and emergency workers and law enforcement and assistance was given to victims that would show up. The distribution network also facilitated providing clothing and shelter for many people. The Salvation Army was providing the shelter and in-house eating facilities.

See also