Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club  

Area children and public safety responders were a bit safer and better protected thanks to the efforts of our club members who were ‘out and about’ Halloween evening.

Once again BAARC members provided a valuable community-watch service assisting in public safety from an operating position at the Crow Wing Law Enforcement Center (net control) and twelve mobile units in Brainerd/Baxter, Crosby/Ironton, and Nisswa/Pequot Lakes and Breezy Point areas.

Members participating were: John, W3MQD; Jim, WØJDS; Lyle, KØLFV; and Tom, WBØCZZ, working the north area. Others at Brainerd/Baxter were: Darrell, ABØVP (Colleen); Pete, NØBLX; Jon, KBØMNM (Karen); and Joe, NØUME. In Crosby-Ironton were: Terry, KIØFW and Curt, NØCRM, with Dave KCØTGT helping out too.

Net control operators at the Law Enforcement Center were Steve, WØTNT and John, WØJGY.

Directed dispatches to club members included watching for kids with paintball guns destructive to property and gangs of juveniles being disruptive in and around a couple of the schools.  In one residential neighborhood, members found some suspicious vehicles and activity but nothing too serious.  All reported a higher level of activity then in years past but over a shorter time span, 6 P.M. to 9 P.M.

Sheriff’s communications supervisor Pat Eyestone thanked the club for their services and said that the extra "eyes and ears" out there observing are well appreciated, and added that it is good training too.