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PARTICIPATING CLUB.  BEARS HAD A DEDICATED TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE ABLE
TO OBTAIN A FULLY SELF CONTAINED MOTORHOME, WHICH WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A
STATE OF THE ART COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY, DUBBED BEARS 1.  BECAUSE BEARS
EXISTED TO SERVE THE COUNTYS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY
FUNCTIONS, BEARS 1 HAD NOT ONLY HF, VHF, AND UHF AMATEUR RADIO AND CITIZENS
BAND CB EQUIPMENT, IT ALSO HAD 800 MHZ TRUNKED TRANSCEIVERS THAT COULD
COMMUNICATE WITH THE EOC AND ANY PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY IN THE COUNTY.  BEARS
1 WAS NEEDED SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING FOR MAJOR BRUSH FIRES.  AFTER A FEW
DECADES, THE AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES CHANGED, AS DID
THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES MANAGEMENT.  IN THE ABSENCE OF SIGNIFICANT
EMERGENCY EVENTS, BEARS SEEMED TO HAVE A DECREASING RELEVANCE IN COUNTY
EMERGENCY RESPONSES.  BREVARD COUNTY IS A TARGET FOR HURRICANES, TORNADOES,
AND OTHER SEVERE WEATHER.  WITH ITS EXTREMELY HIGH TECH ENVIRONMENT AND A
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SLIGHTLY OVER AN HOURS DRIVE AWAY, THE COUNTY IS AT
RISK FOR POTENTIAL DISASTERS.  IT WAS CLEAR THAT SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE
DONE TO BYPASS HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE MYRIAD OF AREA CLUBS, SO A GROUP OF
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