City Of Fort Worth: Fort Worth RACES Program Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Press release from City of Fort Worth:

August 03, 2021

 This summer the Fort Worth Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service program, known as RACES, celebrates 50 years of dedicated service to the community. The RACES program is an organization of trained and licensed amateur radio operators who volunteer their time and equipment to keep Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents safe during severe weather.

In July of 1971, the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Office of Civil Defense along with the National Weather Service invited local amateur radio operators to receive training on a new severe weather reporting service called Skywarn, which prepares volunteers to spot dangerous weather and report the information to meteorologists.

After training, more than 150 Tarrant County-area amateur radio operators were registered and ready to begin reporting during severe weather events. With a member roster in hand and the support of the city’s Civil Defense Agency, the Fort Worth RACES program was created.

Today, 50 years later, RACES volunteers are still supplying “ground truth” — real-time observations — to the National Weather Service, the Fort Worth Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management, Fort Worth Police Department, media outlets and special event organizers during severe weather in Tarrant County. Through the years, membership has ebbed and flowed with the changes in technology and frequency of severe weather; yet, the organization has continued the mission and stayed strong.

“If you are watching weather updates and hear mention of spotter reports, nine times out of 10 it is a trained RACES storm spotter in their own car, using their own equipment, to gather storm information to protect you and your family,” RACES Program Coordinator Gerry Dalton said. “They have done it for 50 years and will continue to provide ground truth to the many organizations dedicated to keeping our community safe.”

Over the last five years, 234 RACES volunteers have logged nearly 10,000 service hours. To celebrate 50 years, all current members received a small token of appreciation, a lapel pin, from the Office of Emergency Management.

At the City of Fort Worth, we are thankful for all RACES volunteers for all they do for the community, and we hope everyone will join in wishing them a “Happy 50th anniversary!”

Learn more about the RACES program or sign up to volunteer. 

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This press release was produced by City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.