Infrastructure & Emergency Communications
Stateline Amateur Radio Services (SARS) was formed with a clear mission: build and maintain a network of tower sites and repeaters dedicated to amateur radio and emergency communications across a wide swath of northern Illinois — from the Winnebago/Boone county area west to the Mississippi River, and east along the 88/30 corridor to DeKalb County.
SARS was intentionally designed not to be a traditional club or membership-driven organization. Instead, it works collaboratively with multiple clubs, counties, and public safety agencies to ensure reliable communication during disaster situations. A key advantage of this approach is stability — by developing its own tower sites, SARS avoids the common headaches of relying on others’ infrastructure and the risk of being bumped from shared sites.
SARS is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is funded entirely through donations from corporations, businesses, clubs, organizations, and private citizens. The full buildout is an ambitious 3–5 year project with an estimated cost of approximately $500,000.
Board of Directors
Daniel Larson KD9SAZ, Kurt Eversole KE9N, Jamie Cook W9JTC, Jimmy Curtis KC9GO,
and Greg Wernick Jr. KE9EOT
All board members are also members of the Rockford Amateur Radio Association.