Montgomery County Emergency Communications Agency (MCECA), also known as Montgomery County REACT, has evolved into a first-rate communications organization, assisting local government, Red Cross, other nonprofit organizations, and the motoring public.

Besides our use VHF Radio, we use radios that use the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequencies. We have a large network of local GMRS Repeaters, generally on the 462.675 MHz frequency. Our team members have the ability to communicate over many repeater systems on different frequencies.

We enjoy a good working relationship with the Montgomery County, Maryland government's Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Office of Emergency Management. A base station, equipped with GMRS, resides in the county's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Radio Room and is designated as the team's Unit 201. This base station is used during weather and other emergencies, disaster exercises, and for training new members.

The local chapter of the Red Cross also relies upon our communications support from time to time. We are called to provide communications for Red Cross officials particularly when a fire or other disaster involves an apartment house or complex and an off-site shelter.

Many local nonprofit organizations have also come to call for our services to provide communications for their walk-a-thons, 10k runs, parades, and other similar events. The Spring is our busiest time with these events, and we now have approximately 10 that we do each year. Those who volunteer to participate are usually placed intermittently along the event route to ensure assistance can be called if a participant becomes injured and sometimes to relay the progress of participants to the control operator. A standard procedure for net control operations, used during most events, has been established. In addition, we work with the Potomac Soccer League officials on their Memorial Day Soccer Tournament each year. This is a massive event, involving three days of games at approximately 20 fields. Our goal is to have each field covered, and we have had to enlist the assistance of other local teams each year. Because the size of the event and the assistance required, we are usually awarded a donation for our services.

We are also members of National Capital REACT, Inc. (NCRI), a body composed of area REACT teams ( Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland ). NCRI owns and operates the two major GMRS repeater systems that team members access.

SHADOW Traffic Reporting Service also relies upon Montgomery County REACT to provide it (Shadow) with accurate and timely traffic and road condition reports for the metropolitan Washington D.C. area.
 

Montgomery County REACT team meetings are held twelve times a year, generally on the 3rd Monday of each month at 20:00 hours (8:00 p.m.). The meetings are held in the community meeting room of the Potomac Electric Power Company's (PEPCO) training facility in Rockville, Maryland.

More REACT volunteers are needed to ensure everyone gets help when needed. Every emergency call requires a monitor to succeed. It's as simple as that.

Are you interested in joining our Team? Then Click Here to send an E-Mail message to the Team or write a letter (Snail Mail) to the Team at this address:

MCECA
10010 Stedwick Road, Apt. 304
Montgomery Village, MD 20886

or call  301-515-9373

Are you a Maryland High School student? Need to meet your community service hours requirement for graduation? Or are you simply interested in helping to provide a valuable community service? Join Montgomery County REACT.