Amateurs Responding in Terrorist Attacks\' Aftermath

From the ARRL...


NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 11, 2001--With lower Manhattan taking on the look of a war zone, some Amateur Radio Emergency Service and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service organizations have initiated emergency nets and other activities in response to today's terrorist attacks. Other ARES and RACES groups in the New York City and Washington, DC, areas were reported on alert and standing by if needed. States of emergency have been declared in affected areas.




In the New York City area, ARES and RACES is active and reported "very busy" by ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator Tom Carrubba, KA2D. An emergency net is operating on the WB2ZSE 147.00 MHz repeater with Guy Richman, KC2AYG, as the net control station. ARRL Hudson Division Vice Director Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, cites information from New York City District Emergency Coordinator Charles Hargrove, N2NOV, that ARES members will be used in search-and-rescue efforts at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan. "Amateurs will be used throughout the night," Mendelsohn said.



The New York City Office of Emergency Management bunker is located adjacent to the World Trade Center. At one point, the bunker's entrance was blocked for about 20 minutes by debris from the skyscraper's collapse, said Bob Reed, W2CE.



The repeater net is handling emergency traffic and shadowing some New York City officials, Mendelsohn said. Hargrove is handling telephones; Mike Bartman, KF2EO, Bill Butler, N2BGR, and Joseph Albertus, KB2QLE, have been monitored handling medical traffic and shadowing medical officials, while John Kiernan, KE2UN, is at American Red Cross Headquarters in Manhattan.



Mendelsohn notes that only emergency vehicles and personnel are being permitted into Manhattan. "All bridges are closed to incoming traffic," Mendelsohn said, adding that one outbound lane remains open with heavy security on the bridges. "Jet fighters are in the air criss-crossing Manhattan," he said. "It looks like a war zone there--something out of World War II." The Holland and Lincoln tunnels have been closed in both directions.



New York City-Long Island Section Manager George Tranos, N2GA, reports that he's working with Carrubba from his house in North Babylon on Long Island. "Suffolk County ARES is supporting the American Red Cross with communications," he said. ARES remains on standby in the Emergency Operations Center in the towns of Babylon and Islip, while Islip and Babylon ARES are on-site at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip and Brunswick Hospital in Amityville, Tranos said.



Kenneth Goetz, N2SQW, reported that a New York State RACES net was operational on 7.248 and 3.993.5 MHz handling emergency and government-related traffic.



In the Washington, DC, area, Maryland-DC Section Emergency Coordinator Mike Carr, WA1QAA, reports RACES groups were activated in Montgomery County and put in standby in Howard County and other jurisdictions. Frederick County RACES has not been activated, Carr said.



Montgomery County Deputy Radio Officer John Creel, WB3GXW, reports that county's RACES team is fully activated and under "full tactical alert," and amateur operators have been deployed to five area hospitals to handle traffic regarding incoming patients and blood donations. The RACES operators are coordinating with the American Red Cross in Silver Spring, Maryland. Primary traffic is being handled via the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club 147.955 repeater and the Montgomery County RACES 443.90 repeater.



Virginia SEC Tom Gregory, N4NW, says he's asked everyone to "monitor the emergency frequencies and to keep a full tank of gas." Gregory said a breakdown in local telephone service has hampered efforts to contact--or be contacted by--emergency officials. Gregory said all repeaters would be available. Virginia RACES has activated at the state emergency operations center at Virginia State Police headquarters in Richmond. Virginia RACES was using 7.240 MHz on HF (WC4VA), as well as 145.43, 145.36 for FM voice and 145.73 packet (VAEOC).



The Old Dominion Emergency and Virginia Emergency nets were said to be active.



ARES and RACES organizations are locally managed. Teams in other states are on standby in case they're needed.



Army Military Affiliate Radio System--MARS--spokesman Bill Sexton, N1IN, reports the World Trade Center attack prompted an immediate response from the SHARES network of federal agencies assisted by the Amateur Radio operators who participate in MARS.



SHARES is a little-known emergency service that allies MARS-certified amateurs with federal agency operators when normal communications break down. That occurred today when the telephone and cellular telephone circuits became overloaded. The SHARES nets operate on government frequencies outside the amateur bands.



By early this afternoon, more than 200 stations had checked in, including participants from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, state emergency operations centers, and Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps and Army MARS members. "The bulk of participants were amateurs," Sexton said.



Sexton said that David Muckle, KB2BNW/AAR2CB came on the air from Essex County, New Jersey, within sight of the plume of smoke over the World Trade Center. Arthur Walsh AB4BG/NNN0FAD, checked in from Annandale Virginia, not far from the Pentagon.



Regional nets also activated across the country. Sexton said the SHARES headquarters staff had to evacuate its Arlington, Virginia, location, but was soon on the air operating portable in northern Virginia.



The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network--SATERN--has activated its HF net on 14.265 MHz. SATERN also handles health-and-welfare inquiries via its Web site. The Salvation Army has been collecting fresh water, supplies and donations in various localities in the Northeast to truck to New York City. Other disaster-related operations have been reported on the EastCARS (East Coast Amateur Radio Service) frequency, 7.255 MHz, and on 14.326, where an informational net was under way.



A toll-free health-and-welfare number for those seeking information on friends and relatives in the World Trade Center has been established. It's 888-883-4391.



DXpeditioners Held Up



A DXpedition team headed for Johnston Island was held up in Oahu, Hawaii, when air traffic was shut down in the wake of the terrorist incidents. A spokesperson for Team K3J said that there was very little chance of the team's reaching Johnston Island within the next 48 hours. "Please watch your favorite cluster for spots; if the flight becomes available, we may not get a chance to make another post," the spokesperson said.



Well Wishers Send Greetings



As news of the attacks spread, messages arrived at ARRL Headquarters from amateurs outside the US expressing their concern and astonishment. "We are very sorry to hear about the terrorist attack in USA," wrote Berkin and Nilay Aydogmus, TA3J and TA3YJ. "We can't find words to explain our feelings. It is unbelievable."



AMSAT President Robin Haighton, VE3FRU, expressed his grief in a posting on the AMSAT reflector. "These terrible events affect us all," he said. "My thoughts are with you and all the American people."



A message posted on several VHF-related reflectors from ES Electronics in South Africa said, "Our hearts go out to the Americans today. God bless you all."