Saturday and Sunday, members of the Southwest Mississippi Amateur Radio Club will gather at the Brookhaven Recreation Department for the annual Ham Radio Field Day, which amounts to an emergency drill for radio operators all over the country.

SMARC member Homer Richardson, a licensed ham radio operator since 1959, said the 24-hour event tests equipment and preparedness in the event of a disaster that would wipe out all the other communication.

"From 1 p.m. our time until 1 p.m. on Sunday, ham radio operators all across the country set up stations that they operate under emergency power," Richardson said. "We're trying to make sure we'd be prepared to get equipment together to handle a disaster, and this is one way of making sure we can do this."

It's not just about the radio equipment, though. It tests the operators' general preparedness as well. All the little things count.

"It's about things like, do you know where your food and water are coming from, can you get your equipment up to operate for 24 hours," he said. "Then we work on making as many contacts as possible during this 24 hour period. It's really a way for testing equipment and operators for emergency preparedness."

Richardson said he's not sure how long the nationwide field day has taken place, but he has been participating for more than 35 years on the last weekend of every June. And during the weekend, radio operators make contacts with other ham enthusiasts across the United States and Canada.

And the public is invited to see how the systems work, which can be a good idea for people who are potentially interested in getting involved with ham radio.

"The main idea is not only to do it but have it set up so the public can come by and see how it operates," Richardson said. "There will also be testing for people who want to get their license on Saturday at 2 p.m."

Around 30 active members in SMARC see it as their duty to be on call as a bridge between emergency personnel, the public, and help in the case of a disaster.

"We're there when cell towers and public utilities go down. This is one way that you can almost always get some kind of communication," Richardson said, adding that the ham radio operator is simply a connection between those who are in need and those who can provide it. "It's not for us to decide what's needed, but to provide it to those that need it."

More than 35,000 amateur ham radio operators participated in Field Day nationwide last year. During the event, points will be given for communications with other ham stations across the country, and operators will be logging names, locations, equipment types and signal strength.

A tent will be set up outside the recreation department with information for the public. Richardson said anyone interested is welcome to attend.