THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The airwaves will be crackling and coming to life around the Thomas County Emergency Operations Center on Saturday.

The Thomasville Amateur Radio Club will conduct its annual Field Day, which is held typically on the last full weekend of June.

Part of the event, said club president Jimmy Jones, is to see how many contacts the amateur radio enthusiasts can make.

“It’s a contest,” he said. “We try to compete against each other.”

The field day also tests emergency preparedness, Jones said. When power is out, amateur radio can step in and provide communications.

“It shows what we can do in times of emergency,” he said. “We can set up and provide communications.”

Amateur radio operators went to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated much of the island, setting up communications there. 

“We’re able to communicate if all the electricity is down,” Jones said.

Sometimes called ham radio, amateur radio works closely locally with emergency agencies.

“Most amateur radio operators are involved in emergency commu-nications,” Jones said. “With ham radio, you can always communicate, even if everything else is down.”

The local club, which has been in existence for more than 50 years, also takes part in the Boston Mini-Marathon and the Pavo Peacock Parade, Jones noted. They also support the Spaghetti 100 bike ride out of Tallahassee, Florida, setting up checkpoints along the route to monitor the riders’ progress and their safety.

For Saturday’s event, the club will have several radios set up, including what is known as a GOTA station, or Get On The Air. That allows someone who doesn’t have a broadcast license to transmit if they have a licensed radio operator with them.

Some operators will send their signals digitally and others will use Morse code, which Jones pointed out is not necessary to learn to obtain a license.

The club will try to make contacts in all states and across North America. During the event, they have reached other amateur radio enthusiasts in Spain, and Jones said he has talked with a radio operator on the west African coast before. One member, he said, has reached as far as Australia with his signal.

“Depending on conditions, we can reach around the world,” he said. “It’s wherever you can bounce a signal.”

The club is inviting local officials and the public Saturday from 2-6 p.m., and there will be a potluck supper.

For more about the club, visit thomasvilleamateurradioclub.com.