“When all else fails there’s Amateur Radio” is a slogan featured by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) on banners, t-shirts, and other promotional items. This slogan represents one of the most important aspects of Amateur Radio, emergency communications. After a major disaster Amateur Radio is most often the only form of communication into and out of an affected area. This is because Amateur Radio operators do not depend on any infrastructure to communicate with others. All that is needed to communicate with the outside world is a radio, car battery or generator, and a wire thrown up into a tree or suspended by any type of pole. With this simple setup Amateur Radio operators can communicate with other operators across the globe if they possess the proper know how. To hone their skills and their equipment Amateur Radio operators practice their craft year round. The last weekend in June the Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association takes part in Field Day. This is the single largest emergency preparation exercise in the United States. Nationwide 30,000 Amateur Radio operators take part. They set up stations in fields where no infrastructure exists and operate for 24 hours under adverse conditions. Amateur Radio Operators work closely with organizations such as: The Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state emergency management agencies, and local emergency management agencies.