The Emergency Services Coordinating Agency (ESCA) is offering two amateur radio license courses starting Monday, Sept. 24 to prepare students for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) license exam.

Courses for the entry and mid-level licenses meet together on Monday evenings from 7-9 p.m. at Brier City Hall, located at 2901 228th Street Southwest in Brier, for eight weeks.

Those already holding the prerequisite license may attend the separate, but simultaneous mid-level license course. These license holders enjoy greater power output and frequency privileges required for worldwide communications.

The beginner level amateur band radio license is required for entry into the fascinating hobby of “ham” radio, allowing the licensee to get on the air and communicate with a region-wide network of ham radio operators for fun, providing communications for charity events or helping governments transmit vital disaster response information when telephones fail.

The course itself is free, but does not include a $25 textbook and $15 exam fee. The textbooks for both courses are available through the ESCA office for the discounted price of $25.

For more information, contact the course manager, Dan Good, at (425) 776-3722 or at dan@esca1.com.

The Emergency Services Coordinating Agency was created by the cities of Brier, Edmonds, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Woodinville, and the Town of Woodway to provide city government disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery services.