Emergency Communications

The MARA has always placed EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS as the highest priority of communications on the MARA repeater systems. If you have an EMERGENCY or happen across an emergency situation, please feel free to break-in to any normal communications and explain your situation and ask for help. A call for help, when the repeater is not busy, will most likely cause someone to get back to you. Even it you cannot get an immediate response, explain your situation on-the-air, so even system listeners might help you.
Emergency communications NETS are invited to use the MARA repeaters, but please advise the repeater control operators of your need. The 25/85 repeater is available thru-out its coverage area in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin for emergency uses. If time allows for you advise of this use before the event occurs or at early in the emergency, please contact the MARA via the web page. The amateur radio operators that regularly use the MARA repeaters have a long history of cooperating with this use of the MARA repeaters for Emergency Communications. Nets for other events or practice or simulated emergency nets or exercises are also allowed on the MARA repeaters, but please notify MARA in advance. Nets are expected to have a net control station that is controlling the use of the repeater at all times the net is in operation. The MARA control operators will shut off nets that do not have a net control operator constantly present.

Skywarn

MARA has supported Metro SKYWARN, by supplying the 25/85 repeater for many years (maybe up to 25 years). In early 2011 Metro Skywarn and MARA could not agree on continued terms of the 25/85 repeater use for SKYWARN. This situation is still in on-going negotiations, so please standby for further information. See the Metro SKYWARN web site for info on other SKYWARN nets. Other SKYWARN operations, in the states of Minnesota or Wisconsin where the MARA 25/85 repeater coverage is good, is encouraged.