San Juan County’s amateur radio volunteers form a critical communications link between islands and to the mainland in the event of a major emergency or outage. The San Juan County Amateur Radio Society (www.sjcars.org) is hosting a training in Friday Harbor to prepare islanders to take the Amateur Technician test. This certification allows islanders to become a part of this crucial communications system.

The four-hour class is free but there is a $15 fee to the ARRL for taking the test. To register or for details, contact Bryan Hoyer at bhhoyer@gmail.com.

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 5-7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 14, 5-7 p.m.

Test: Saturday, Sept. 16, 10-12 a.m.

Class Location:

San Juan Island Fire Station

1011 Mullis Street