What in the world ...
... is that?????
If you see one of these attached to your school or other public building it's not a broken umbrella, it's an emergency communications antenna, a city acquisition for all primary and secondary Area Disaster Centers (ADC). These new multi-band antennas replace their single band predecessors and offer more versatility to the city's emergency communication plan. You will find one of these new antennas on all branch libraries as well as most campuses in the Torrance Unified School District and even a couple of parks. In an emergency any TARA ham (amateur radio operator) can go to one of the ADCs and connect their radio to the antenna, significantly increasing the operating distance.
Is this new? No, the reality is that TARA has been prepared for a major event for more than twenty years. Every year TARA members are involved in drills that include checking all major critical facilities and a once a year check the of all ADC antennas to be certain they will be ready should they be needed.
So if you don't see one of these funny-looking things over the office of your child's school or on your branch library, let someone in the facility know or call the emergency services office at 310- 618-5670 and report it. Unfortunately there are some who lack respect for others property. As a result we have from time to time lost an antenna or two. Make sure your children know what the antenna is for and how important it might become to their lives and the lives of their friends should basic communication (phones, cell phones, Internet) in a major event be curtailed or cut off. I-lam radio is the ONLY reliable mode of communication as it is not dependent on any system such as cell phone antennas or satellites. It has proved it worth over and over providing at times the only communication events such as Oklahoma City bombing, 911, Katrina and others to numerous to list.