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RAYNET (Radio Amateurs Emergency
Network) is a British national voluntary
communications service provided by amateur radio
operators. It was formed in 1953 and exists to
supplement national communication channels in the
event of an emergency.
"History"
The idea of
RAYNET came into being in the aftermath of the North
Sea flood of 1953, a natural disaster that damaged
the communication cables along the East Coast of
England on the night of 31 January 1953.
With
communication lines crippled, the police
authorities, in desperation, sought help from the
few amateur radio operators then licensed, and,
although illegal at that time, the Home Office
permitted the use of amateur radios to direct and
co-ordinate the rescue teams.
The following
year, an infant network first known as RA-EN was
formed. The Home Office conceded the desirability of
an organisation which, in times of emergency, could
effect the passing of messages facilitating the
rescue operations of the professional services, who
themselves lacked the 'instant comms' of radio at
this time.
While the RA-EN began on a minor scale with only a
few operators involved, the network has grown into a
nationwide movement now known as "RAYNET". |
