The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) is a network of volunteer amateur radio operators based in North America. It works to provide emergency communications between Salvation Army posts during times of disaster, and to pass messages with health and welfare information between the Salvation Army and the general public.
In the 1950s, the Salvation Army ran the Salvationist Amateur Radio Operators Fellowship. By 1958 SAROF members were providing help in communications during emergencies.[1] The group continued until 2016.
In the 1980s, several SAROF members discussed how to make this assistance more formal. SATERN was officially founded on June 25, 1988, with its first real test coming three months later during Hurricane Gilbert.
SATERN is open is open to amateur radio operators of all license classes, and of any (or no) religious faith. SATERN routinely operates on VHF and HF ham bands but may operate any mode on any amateur radio frequency during an event.[2]
During the Northeast blackout of 2003 the group was active in Upstate New York as well as the Salvation Army headquarters in Manhattan.[3]
When an F-5 Tornado hit Joplin, Missouri on May 5, 2011, the SATERN units were activated.[4] They provided communications and helped with the distribution of water, ice, personnel items, food, and medical care. Food trucks were dispatched to many affected areas to provide meals to victims and emergency workers and law enforcement and assistance was given to victims that would show up. The distribution network also facilitated providing clothing and shelter for many people. The Salvation Army was providing the shelter and in-house eating facilities.
In June 2022, SATERN launched an international SSB Net on 14.325MHz, with Hurricane Watch Net. A second SATERN group (Strategic Auxiliary Team Emergency Readiness Net) will use 14.265MHz. The two groups are not related, although both have worked with Lee Glassman at one time.[5]
SATERN has expanded overseas, with operators based in Australia, Bermuda, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and New Zealand.[1]