Like a black-and-white movie, ham radio can evoke an image of how people communicated long ago.

But ask someone in emergency management about ham radio, and you'll find that this medium of communication is anything but outdated. In recent years, recognition of its importance has actually increased.

A case in point occurred in March 2008, when thousands of people were attending the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament in downtown Atlanta when a tornado cut a path of destruction through the heart of the city.

Unbeknownst to many, a lone amateur radio operator, using just a hand-held radio, called "CQ, CQ" - the ham radio code that signified he was reaching out to whoever could hear him. He hoped to alert any station on the air that he was located in the worst of the storm-affected area and needed help.

Barry Kanne, an active ham radio operator and an Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteer, happened to be listening to the main ham radio weather channel as the storm hit. He responded to the CQ call. An ad hoc emergency net between the two operators was established. Soon other stations joined in to report storm damage.

For the balance of that evening, and into the early morning hours, reports were relayed to the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City and local public safety agencies in the affected area.

Amateur radio operators have provided communications during disasters for decades, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

They rely on their equipment and antennas to communicate using radio technologies and battery power. Amateur radio operators ensure ongoing emergency communications when Internet services fail and cellphones are rendered useless. According to a Wired magazine blog, there are more than 700,000 licensed ham operators in the U.S. today. That's 60 percent more than 30 years ago.

They use terminology and slang unique to ham radio. With the knowledge of this technical language comes the ability to relate on all levels, transcending barriers of native tongues and cultures.

"Our communities rely on ham radio in a way the average citizen just does not realize," said Steve Garrison, president of the Alford Memorial Radio Club in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Shortly after the Gulf Coast experienced Hurricane Katrina, which left some hospitals barely functioning and cut off from outside help, the federal government recognized the important contributions made by amateur radio.

Federal officials allocated funds to establish emergency ham radio stations in many hospitals throughout the country.

In 2007, the Georgia Department of Public Health contracted with the Georgia Hospital Association to manage the installation of ham radios in 15 Regional Coordinating Hospitals.

"A Health Resources and Services Administration grant enabled hospitals to secure redundant communication, making certain it was in place during emergencies," said GHA emergency preparedness director Adrianne Feinberg.

By 2009, the Joint Commission, an independent hospital accreditation agency, began to focus on hospital emergency management, resulting in a dedicated emergency management chapter as part of a standard operating procedure, said Feinberg.

"Ensuring reliable communication capability continues to be a vital component of emergency preparedness," she said.

New standards now specify that hospitals prepare for how they communicate during emergencies as part of their internal crisis communication planning. Amateur radio is viewed as an example of backup communications that meets this requirement.

Hospital employees join in

Today, those initial 15 hospitals and dozens more in Georgia have installed ham radio equipment. In addition, some hospital employees have obtained their own FCC amateur radio licenses, enabling them to establish vital communications while waiting for the ARES volunteer operators to arrive.

Federal Communications Commission regulations prevent amateur radio operators from receiving any compensation for performing their communications tasks. But a recent FCC ruling relaxed these restrictions for hospital employees with ham licenses, allowing them to use amateur radio equipment for drills and exercises while still on the hospital clock.

"We strive to develop good working relationships with the agencies we serve," said George Olive, ARES Emergency Coordinator for DeKalb County.

"By participating in drills and exercises alongside professional emergency responders, we are an integral part of events like parades and marathons," Olive said.

"Not only are we there when hospitals need us," said Kanne, "but the true beauty of what we do allows doctors, employees and other hospital staff to do what they do best - provide vital patient care in an emergency."

Kara Tarantino is a strategic marketing consultant in health care communications, planning and content marketing. She lives in the Atlanta area.