About SATERN

Salvation Army Disaster Services

The Salvation Army began offering assistance to disaster survivors after a major hurricane hit Galveston, TX in September 1900, destroying the coastal city and killing thousands of people. At the request of The Salvation Army’s National Commander, Frederick Booth-Tucker, officers (the clergy of The Salvation Army) from across the country moved into the Galveston area to help feed and shelter the thousands of survivors, while also providing much needed emotional and spiritual support.

Since then, The Salvation Army has responded to numerous natural disasters, transportation accidents, civil unrest situations and terrorist attacks. By providing beverages, meals, and emotional and spiritual care to first-responders and survivors, The Salvation Army strives to bring hope and healing to people who find themselves in the midst of extremely difficult situations.

SATERN is an all volunteer organization made up of currently licensed amateur radio operators. The volunteer their time and efforts toward aiding The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services ministry. Many of us are also volunteers in such all volunteer organizations as SKYWARN, ARES, and others. Some have completed the FEMA online training, or EDS Incident Command training, SKYWARN training, or ARES Emergency Communications training.

SATERN has local organizations in all 50 states and Canada, as well as many other parts of the world. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network has demonstrated its effectiveness by providing essential radio communication services in countless disaster situations, including:

 

Hurricane Andrew Northridge earthquake
Plainfield, Ill. tornado Florida wildfires
Mississipi River floods Hurricane Mitch
Oklahoma bombing Oklahoma City Tornado
Hurricane Marilyn Hurricane Keith
North Dakota floods Hurricane Katrina
New York City Ground Zero 9/11/2001 Hurricane Maria (Puerto Rico & USVI) 22 days
Hurricane Harvey

SATERN is in service to aid The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) ministry and provide communications and other technical assistance to EDS to enhance the response and effectiveness of what EDS does.

SATERN may assist in handling Health and Welfare requests in times of emergency where normal communication media fails.

SATERN will also partner with cooperating emergency responders and / or disaster relief agencies, where needed, to provide communications media where infrastructure service has been interrupted or where the infrastructure has been destroyed.