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Members of Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service lend a hand in Herkimer County

By NICOLE PITT

Story Created: Oct 29, 2012 at 5:36 PM EDT

Story Updated: Oct 29, 2012 at 5:38 PM EDT

HERKIMER, N.Y. (WKTV) - There were a few extra sets of hands inside the Herkimer County Emergency Management building on Monday night.

Members from the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service or "RACES" are set up next to the 911 center. The RACES are able to monitor many frequencies, staying ahead of the storm and are on call as back-up communication in case of any power failure in the county.

They are also ready in case the generators fail at local hospitals.

"We have an emergency radio set up in Little Falls Hospital," said Don Rankins, Chief Radio Officer. "If they have a communications problem there, we can send someone down there and do communications stuff for them throughout the network of hospitals in the area."

They are also able to take all of the information about damage that is coming into the 911 Center and pass it along to the National Weather Service.

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