What is IEARS?
IEARS is a group of volunteer Intel employees who are FCC licensed amateur (“Ham”) radio operators. IEARS members span across all five of the major domestic US facilities, Japan, Israel, Penang, and Puerto Rico. Today there are over 90+ Arizona Intel IEARS employees, out of the total 250+ Intel Corp. world wide.
IEARS History:
During the Loma Prieta, California earthquake on October 17th, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PST, at a magnitude of 7.1, all forms of communications (voice and data) were lost into and out of the San Francisco Bay area, which included Intel facilities in Santa Clara. That following December, a postmortem was held in SC9 by the Intel Corp. Disaster Review team. Intel identified the need for an additional first level communications solution which would fill this short term communications gap immediately following a disaster. It was then decided at this time to utilize Intel’s internal amateur radio resource to accomplish this, thus IEARS was officially formed. IEARS is an officially funded and sanctioned organization by Intel Corp across all domestic Intel sites. Funding for IEARS comes from each individual Intel sites’ ERT/BRT and local site committee programs.
IEARS In New Mexico:
Following the several manpower drawdowns at Fab11x, IEARS NM membership gradually dried up as members were laid off or took buyout/retirement packages. However, the IEARS repeater (originally K5CPU) has remained active and open for the Intel and Rio Rancho community to use, even without any IEARS activity. Today, IEARS membership is on the rise again, and is partnered with the Sandoval County Amateur Radio Emergency Service to provide emergency communications support if needed, as well as providing mentoring for anyone wishing to train for and become a licensed “Ham” operator, whether or not they wish to become an IEARS member.
IEARS NM Mission Statement:
- Provide HF short-wave emergency communications with any other Intel facility experiencing total communication isolation, resulting from a disaster which may have occurred at that facility. Since IEARS-NM does not currently have an HF station, we can receive/send relays of first level emergency communications pertaining to the health and welfare information of both traveling and resident Intel employees, along with general disaster relief assistance for the community via the Sandoval County Amateur Radio Service HF station, located a short distance from the Fab.
- Provide local site backup communications for both Rio Rancho ERT/Safety teams, utilizing VHF/UHF portable radios, as well as the IEARS UHF Repeater system
- Promote all facets of Ham Radio to the Intel Community by providing training for FCC licensing, mentoring for the uses of Ham Radio for local and worldwide communication, exploring the links between today’s Intel-fostered digital world and the hobby, and creating professional, technically proficient communicators who can give back to the local community and support first responders or relief workers as a backup resource.