Marek Varga became the 2024 Service Champion. He received the award for his volunteer work in the EmComm civil association - Emergency Radio Communication System.

His interest in electrical wiring and installations was awakened by his father - an electrician by profession. As a boy, he helped him, even if only by handing him tools, but he learned a lot from him. Finally, he decided to study electrical engineering at the Secondary Vocational School of Industrial Technologies in Košice - Šaca. Today he works as an inspection electrician in the Cold Rolling Mill plant division.

“Electrical engineering is my hobby. I gradually became interested in wireless information transmission, walkie-talkies, and radio communication. At first, I didn’t have a license, so I just listened to the broadcasts on the amateur radio frequencies. At a meeting of radio amateurs on Dubník Hill in Slanské vrchy, where the highest transmitter in Slovakia is located, I met Branislav Mika, the founder of the EmComm – Rescue Radio Communication System association . He invited me to a meeting of radio amateurs in Košice and inspired me to take the amateur radio exams and obtain a license to broadcast on the amateur radio frequencies.”

Marek Varga volunteers in a civic association as a technician – radio operator. He helped build a radio communication network that can cover almost half of eastern Slovakia. Thanks to it, they can ensure radio communication during firefighting activities or search and rescue operations involving volunteer fire departments.

“We are also members of the volunteer fire department and as radio amateurs we have taken tests to operate radio stations for the fire department. During the volunteer fire department exercises we found that they have repeated difficulties communicating with the state firefighters because their radios are not tuned correctly. We can help them in this regard.”

Regular maintenance is also associated with the radio communication network…

“We have one of the facilities at Kojšovská hoľa, from there we have great coverage. After winter and summer we go to check if everything is all right, if the antennas are not loose, if the battery is in good condition. Radio amateurs say that what is installed in winter or in very bad weather works best. I don’t know why is that, but it's really truth. Choosing a location for an amateur radio station is important – there must be good coverage from there and at the same time it must be sufficiently isolated to prevent damage. Of course, when setting up a station, permission and compliance with applicable legislation are essential.”

The civil association also established and operates the OM3KWW radio club, thanks to which Marek Varga is dedicated to young people who are interested in radio communication.

“Unfortunately, young people’s interest in amateur radio is declining. I have the feeling that today they prefer text rather than voice. It is also necessary to gain a lot of knowledge, learn the regulations for amateur radio operations and radio technology. It seems that young people do not hang in there for long.”

Thanks to the award, Marek Varga received 5,000 euros for the non-profit organization EmComm – Rescue radio Communication System. As he says, they will use it for better technology, for example, tabletop walkie-talkies with tuners, or antennas to achieve better quality connections with a greater range.