Gianluca Zanna is one of the top artist in what I call Freedom music. He has a talk show on KTOX 1340 am in Kingman. You can listen to the show at his Love, Guns, and Freedom web site. I’ve been on before discussing Constitutional topics such as the militia, the Bill of Rights and freedom.

The role of the militia is not just fighting tyranny. In the period of the War for Independence they were called Committees of Safety. Their role was not just armed defense, but to fight fires and help the members of their community.

This is where Ham radio fits in. There are already agencies in place in the Ham community to respond to emergency situations. RACES is the federal government version and ARES was developed by the American Radio Relay League. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has the SKYWARN system to respond in the event of natural disaster. They have trained weather spotters to report unusual weather conditions. These are forms of militias and they do not have to pack heat.

With the introduction of low-cost amateur radio equipment, anyone can set up equipment to monitor radio transmission when all other means of communication have failed. As we discussed on the show, anyone can monitor these frequencies. There are many good videos on YouTube and other sources that explain how to set these radios up to scan police, fire and other emergency frequencies.

You have to have a license to transmit on Amateur radio or General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequencies. The only exception is if there is a possible loss of life or damage to property. In short, a real emergency. Only then can you use these radios to transmit on without a license.

Radios are useful in the event of any emergency from natural disaster to World War. We discussed some possible uses of these low-cost handie-talkies (HT) and other mobile units. We also discuss why you should get at least a Technician Class amateur radio license. It is not hard and you can meet a lot of good people on the air. I forgot to mention that this is one area that is not limited to age. In fact, young people under the age of eighteen are sought after as Ham radio operators. The younger you start, the more you can learn.

You can listen to this pre-recorded segment on KTOX 1340 AM on Sunday March 6 or listen on the Internet. You can listen to, and download, Zanna’s music at Zanna.us. He also has some good love songs and popular music.