The President of Honduras, Mr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa, inaugurated the Regional Center II of the Permanent Commission of Contingencies, (COPECO) on Thursday, November 22, 2012.

This is one of the five new regional and logistic centers of COPECO and is equipped with a seismological and a meteorological station.

In another center, COPECO has a meteorological radar capable of regional coverage that includes other countries of the zone, like Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The Commissioned Minister of COPECO, Lisandro Rosales, stated to Dr. Cesar Pío Santos, HR2P, IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator, his recognition of the important role of radio amateurs, especially when conventional communications collapse in cases of disasters.

Also present at the event was the President Pro Tempore of the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC) and General Director of the National Civilian Protection System of Panama (SINAPROC), Mr. Arturo Alvarado de Icaza, who also mentioned the good relationship existing in his country with the radio amateurs. Dr. Cesar Pío Santos congratulated him on the openness of the Panamanian government towards the radio amateurs by allowing the adhesion of that country to the IARP convention (International Amateur Radio Permit), which can be of great help in disaster situations.

In the picture, from left to right, the Commissioned Minister of COPECO, Lisandro Rosales, the President of the Republic of Honduras, Licenciado Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and Dr. Cesar Pío Santos, HR2P, IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator, at the event.

Also available in Español (Spanish).