Wood County Emergency Communications will participate in the American Radio Relay League’s annual Field Day on Saturday and Sunday at a farm off Old St. Marys Pike.

The event is a shakedown run for the American Radio Relay League National Field Organization, Ken Harris, director of Wood County Emergency Communications. Amateur Radio operators will work around the clock to contact other operators in the United States and Canada.

“Field Day is a way for ham radio operators to get outdoors and have fun under some difficult conditions,” Harris said. “But it’s also a chance to fine tune emergency communications skills.”

Operators use emergency power sources such as generators, solar panels and batteries, he said.

“We will erect several emergency antennas in the field,” he said. “The idea is to put together a self-sufficient, working communications center in a short period of time and begin making contacts.”

Field Day will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hendershot Farm, 4.5 miles on Laurel Creek Road from Old St. Marys Pike. Set up begins 6 a.m. Saturday.

The event ends at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Participation by amateur radio operators is both a competition and a trial run for emergency communications and skills required during a disaster, such as floods, hurricanes, fires and earthquakes. Operators will practice under primitive conditions using various power sources including alternative sources such as solar, wind, water and methane.

The event is open to the public.

About 35,000 ham radio operators around the country participate each year, including Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.