“Ham” radio operators from the Mid-coast region will join with thousands of other amateur radio operators in demonstrating their emergency capabilities this weekend.

This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long Amateur Radio Week, sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL).

“Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country,” a release from the local branch of the ARRL states. “Their slogan, ‘When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.”

More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

“The fastest way to turn a crisis into a total disaster is to lose communications,” Allen Pitts of the ARRL said in the release. “ From the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to tornadoes in Missouri, ham radio provided the most reliable communication networks in the first critical hours of the events. Because ham radios are not dependent on the Internet, cell towers or other infrastructure, they work when nothing else is available. We need nothing between us but air.”

Locally, the Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Association (MARA) will host a demonstration from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday at the American Red Cross Midcoast Chapter, 16 Community Way, Topsham.

“They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes,” the release states.

There are now more than 700,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the United States, and more than 2.5 million worldwide, according to the release.

Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide free emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and non-emergency community services.

For more information, visit www.emergency-radio.org.