The Hurricanes Continue
Posted: 09-23-2005 06:15 AM
RESCUE RADIO: THE HURRICANES CONTINUE
Script from Amateur Radio Newsline
First Katrina. Now Rita. The hurricane season continues as does the role of Amateur Radio in providing emergency communications. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramovich, NT3V, is here with the latest chapter in this continuing story:
--
As we take air with our weekly broadcast, Hurricane Rita is the new menace on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. Forecasters fear the storm will have the same kind of punch delivered by Hurricane Katrina just a few weeks ago.
Hundreds of thousands have left their homes, heading north to escape the threat. Few have stayed behind, this time, to weather the storm. They've learned from Katrina - that can have deadly consequences.
Already, there is a call-up for amateur radio operators and Joseph Tomasone, AB2M, the ham who coordinated the database for Katrina relief operators has been asked to set up a separate list for the aftermath of Rita.
Joe, lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a technical specialist for the West Central Florida section of the American Radio Relay League.
"I've been requested to set up a database for Rita which I have done which is at http”//rita.ab2m.net. It just went live as a matter of fact and we are now setting up the Section Emergency Coordinators and Section Managers to be able to query that database," says Tomasone.
"The League has made mention of it on their most current item concerning ARES and RACES preparedness for Hurricane Rita. That will be a separate database from Hurricane Katrina which we thought was a better idea for a number of reason.
"More to keep information fresh and to allow those who did not necessarily want to respond for Hurricane Rita - perhaps they had already done enough time during Hurricane Katrina and had to turn attention to other matters that they wouldn't be automatically considered signed up."
Tomasone says he know volunteers are eager to get on board and explains what they need to do.
"They simply go to the web page and click on the registration link, they'll fill out a form that includes information about who they are which it will pull from the FCC database, if possible, what equipment they have, what capabilities they possess," Tomasone says.
"It will be updated to ask if they are intending to deploy to the field or if they intend to stay in their own locations and perhaps pass health and welfare traffic. It will also ask them for contact information, email address, phone numbers and once that's done that's entered into the database.
"Then, essentially, the volunteer's done everything they need to do."
And, after that?
"Now what will happen is that when a need comes up the database will be queried and those who are handling scheduling will look over that database, find someone who meets the qualifications for that need and give that particular ham a call or send an email and see about scheduling them for deployment," Tomasone says.
Bob Josuweit, an assistant ARRL Section Manager for Eastern Pennsylvania and CQ magazine's public service editor, says operators who want to go should consider the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.
"Word did go out from the Texas local ARES coordinators indicating that mission assignments could be dangerous and you had to be prepared to go into the affected areas," Josuweit warns.
Tomasone says based on stories of volunteerism in the wake of Katrina, he's optimistic many operators will step forward to help. He says it's clear many have a big heart and a desire to help.
"We have a number of people who have responded and said: 'I'm available anytime you need me.' We had one amateur who is wheel-chair bound who said: 'You know what, I'm wheel-chair bound but I can get down there, I don't need any special treatment as long as I can be transported to the site. I can maneuver myself around over whatever terrain presents itself and I'm ready, willing and eager to help,' " Tomasone says.
Josuweit says despite the back-to-back callups for amateur radio operators, he's confident the response will meet the needs.
"I think they will be enough people ready to respond, it'll be a little bit further west and people from the West will be able to come in and help out," Josuweit says. "Obviously a lot of people are going to be tired and worn out, but in the traditional spirit of the amateur radio service, we'll get the volunteers."
A footnote to those volunteers: Be aware that a number of amateur radio equipment outlets have been pretty busy trying to fill the requests for HTs and other 2-meter and 440 gear for operators going into the Katrina disaster zone.
We received an e-mail from one listener who told us that he stopped at KComm in San Antonio and had a hard time getting what he wanted. He said the store told him it was out of stock of several items because of sales to folks going in to provide emergency communications. We called the store and spoke with a clerk who acknowledged it's been busy, but he assured us KComm and other dealers still have gear and accessories or can get their hands on it pretty quickly.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia.
--
According to the National Weather Service the hurricane season continues through November. It also says that there is no way to tell how many named tropical storms will spring to life before it ends. This means that hams involved in proving emergency communications could be very busy for some time to come. (ARNewsline)
Script from Amateur Radio Newsline
First Katrina. Now Rita. The hurricane season continues as does the role of Amateur Radio in providing emergency communications. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramovich, NT3V, is here with the latest chapter in this continuing story:
--
As we take air with our weekly broadcast, Hurricane Rita is the new menace on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. Forecasters fear the storm will have the same kind of punch delivered by Hurricane Katrina just a few weeks ago.
Hundreds of thousands have left their homes, heading north to escape the threat. Few have stayed behind, this time, to weather the storm. They've learned from Katrina - that can have deadly consequences.
Already, there is a call-up for amateur radio operators and Joseph Tomasone, AB2M, the ham who coordinated the database for Katrina relief operators has been asked to set up a separate list for the aftermath of Rita.
Joe, lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a technical specialist for the West Central Florida section of the American Radio Relay League.
"I've been requested to set up a database for Rita which I have done which is at http”//rita.ab2m.net. It just went live as a matter of fact and we are now setting up the Section Emergency Coordinators and Section Managers to be able to query that database," says Tomasone.
"The League has made mention of it on their most current item concerning ARES and RACES preparedness for Hurricane Rita. That will be a separate database from Hurricane Katrina which we thought was a better idea for a number of reason.
"More to keep information fresh and to allow those who did not necessarily want to respond for Hurricane Rita - perhaps they had already done enough time during Hurricane Katrina and had to turn attention to other matters that they wouldn't be automatically considered signed up."
Tomasone says he know volunteers are eager to get on board and explains what they need to do.
"They simply go to the web page and click on the registration link, they'll fill out a form that includes information about who they are which it will pull from the FCC database, if possible, what equipment they have, what capabilities they possess," Tomasone says.
"It will be updated to ask if they are intending to deploy to the field or if they intend to stay in their own locations and perhaps pass health and welfare traffic. It will also ask them for contact information, email address, phone numbers and once that's done that's entered into the database.
"Then, essentially, the volunteer's done everything they need to do."
And, after that?
"Now what will happen is that when a need comes up the database will be queried and those who are handling scheduling will look over that database, find someone who meets the qualifications for that need and give that particular ham a call or send an email and see about scheduling them for deployment," Tomasone says.
Bob Josuweit, an assistant ARRL Section Manager for Eastern Pennsylvania and CQ magazine's public service editor, says operators who want to go should consider the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.
"Word did go out from the Texas local ARES coordinators indicating that mission assignments could be dangerous and you had to be prepared to go into the affected areas," Josuweit warns.
Tomasone says based on stories of volunteerism in the wake of Katrina, he's optimistic many operators will step forward to help. He says it's clear many have a big heart and a desire to help.
"We have a number of people who have responded and said: 'I'm available anytime you need me.' We had one amateur who is wheel-chair bound who said: 'You know what, I'm wheel-chair bound but I can get down there, I don't need any special treatment as long as I can be transported to the site. I can maneuver myself around over whatever terrain presents itself and I'm ready, willing and eager to help,' " Tomasone says.
Josuweit says despite the back-to-back callups for amateur radio operators, he's confident the response will meet the needs.
"I think they will be enough people ready to respond, it'll be a little bit further west and people from the West will be able to come in and help out," Josuweit says. "Obviously a lot of people are going to be tired and worn out, but in the traditional spirit of the amateur radio service, we'll get the volunteers."
A footnote to those volunteers: Be aware that a number of amateur radio equipment outlets have been pretty busy trying to fill the requests for HTs and other 2-meter and 440 gear for operators going into the Katrina disaster zone.
We received an e-mail from one listener who told us that he stopped at KComm in San Antonio and had a hard time getting what he wanted. He said the store told him it was out of stock of several items because of sales to folks going in to provide emergency communications. We called the store and spoke with a clerk who acknowledged it's been busy, but he assured us KComm and other dealers still have gear and accessories or can get their hands on it pretty quickly.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia.
--
According to the National Weather Service the hurricane season continues through November. It also says that there is no way to tell how many named tropical storms will spring to life before it ends. This means that hams involved in proving emergency communications could be very busy for some time to come. (ARNewsline)