Raynet

In a nutshell Raynet is a group of radio amateurs dedicated to the provision of back up communications for the emergency services.

The organization of Raynet was born out of the East Coast flood disaster in 1953.  As with many disasters the affected villages were cut-off from the outside world, who only became aware that a disaster had happened when radio amateurs living in these villages managed to get their plight known through contact with other radio amateurs living outside of the area.

It was these same radio amateur who recognized the need for alternative forms of communications when disaster strikes and knocks out the more usual methods such as the telephone.  The result was the inception of the organization known colloquially as Raynet.  Over time similar organizations were set up in many other countries around the world.  In America they are known as RACES.

Today Raynet has their own national organization known as the Radio Amateur Emergency Network (RAEN).  Each county has its own local organization split into groups.  In Surrey, for example, we have Surrey East and Surrey West.  Each group is administered by a Group Controller, while the County wide group is administered by a committee comprising a County Controller, the Group Controllers, a Treasurer, a Secretary and ordinary committee members.

In the wider sense we then have a Zone Controller, who manages several Counties and these same Zone Controllers make up the national Committee together with a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and ordinary committee members.  It is important to recognize that the National Organization is a fully fledged Charity.

Under the terms of our amateur radio licence any member can be called upon at any time to assist the emergency services should the need arise for whatever reason.  In addition to the police, ambulance and fire services we can be called upon by the County Emergency Planning Officer (CEPO) or his/hers local Emergency Planning Officers, and St John Ambulance, Red Cross and in Scotland St Andrews Ambulance.

At times of major disaster it has been recognized that normal communications, such as mobile and land line telephone would become overloaded and will probably breakdown.  At such times the services own communications would become stretched, hence the need for Raynet.