SOUTH BEND -- When you're dealing with an emergency the telephone is usually your lifeline. But if phone lines are down the backup for reliable communication is amateur radio. This weekend, amateur radio operators across the country are spending 24 hours testing their emergency plans.

Radio groups in St. Joseph and Cass counties have teamed up for what's called "field day."

They put their antennas in the air and are camping out at a home on Lilac Street in South Bend.

They will keep track of how many different operators they can touch base with throughout the night.

"In emergency situations we can send messages back and forth. We can send pictures from the affected area to emergency command and it's all done by radio," said Cass County Emergency Coordinator Bill Casper.

People are welcome to check out their local field day and talk to the ham radio operators on Lilac Road in South Bend.

They will be operating all day Saturday until about noon Sunday.

There is also a field day in Berrien County on North Branch Road in Watervliet.