AirLink is affiliated with the following county government and private organizations:
BCARES
(Boulder County Amateur Radio Emergency Services)
“BCARES (Boulder County Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is a 510(c)(3) volunteer organization of licensed Amateur Radio enthusiasts formed for the expressed purpose of providing communication and public service pertaining to the protection of life and/or property, in support of local, state, and federal agencies who may need supplemental communication in times of natural or man made events.”
During an emergency, BCARES monitors AirLink communications to provide “on the ground” realtime information to the Boulder EOC.
IMA
“The InterMountain Alliance offers a forum for mountain communities to assist each other in preparing for disaster and in planning for our future.”
Boulder EOC
Part of the Boulder OEM (Office of Emergency Management)
“The mission of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is to develop & maintain a common operating picture, provide incident resource support, coordinate information and communications, and ensure policy directives are represented in the development of operational strategies.”
During an emergency, BCARES monitors AirLink communications providing the Boulder EOC with “on the ground” realtime information.
MERN
(Mountain Emergency Radio Network)
The Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN) was created in conjunction with Boulder County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (BCARES), the Inter-Mountain Alliance (IMA), and the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
MERN’s mission: To facilitate community emergency preparedness and insure uninterrupted communication between and within six mountain communities in Western Boulder County, county emergency services, and their resources prior to and during an emergency event via a Amateur ‘Ham’ radio network.
MERN is more of an idea versus an actual single entity. It consists of several amateur radio groups throughout the mountains of Boulder County, including AirLink, the Indian Peaks Radio Club based in Nederland, and the Allenspark Neighbors Emergency Network (AREN).
Each of these amateur radio groups have formal agreements to work with BCARES in support of the Boulder County OEM during times of emergency.