Northeast Texas Radio Operations and Command
WN5ROC
Serving the ARRL's
West Gulf Division
Texas ARES® District 8

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About Us

Northeast Texas Radio Operations and Command “NETROC”

Located in Lamar County (Paris, Texas), NETROC is an FCC Amateur Radio Service club dedicated to emergency communications.

To this end…we have purchased an old school bus, and converted it to a Mobile Command Post/Mobile Communications Vehicle. This mobile command center has stations for 8 radios and their operators. The purpose of the vehicle is to provide a central spot for communications and intelligence, during disasters. Therefore, there are stations for Police, Fire, Red Cross, Military Affiliate Radio Service (MARS), FEMA, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Storm Chasers, Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). The vehicle is fully self-contained with it’s own generator and air conditioners.

In the near future, we plan to install a satellite system for TV, High Speed Internet, and Satellite Telephone. Along with this system we will also install a WI-FI wireless system for the use of multiple laptop computers that today’s Police often have in their patrol cars.

On completion of this project…we plan to take this vehicle, to area municipalities to demonstrate the effectiveness of mobile wireless emergency communications.

We are listed as a not for profit organization in Texas. For further information or donations.

“Ham Radio works, when all else fails”

Why the Amateur Radio Emergency Service?

Communication failures have been a defining part of natural disasters and even some human-generated events such as the September 11 attacks that occurred in New York City in 2001. A lack of communication between firefighters at the World Trade Center contributed directly to the deaths of 300 of those firefighters. Amateur radio provides a means of communication "when all else fails".

ARES groups are generally organized by city or county and are made up of volunteers from the local area. The only requirements to join ARES are a willingness to serve and a valid amateur radio license .

Why the Rado Amateur Civil Emergency Service?

Frequently, members of local ARES groups in the U.S. are registered with local government Emergency Management agencies to permit operations under the RACES rules, if ever needed. This allows continuation of operation during times of declared emergency when normal amateur operations might be prohibited.

Today, ARES has operators and officials at local, county, and state levels, and most potential RACES operations are generally integrated within ARES organizations.