-------- Original Message -------- Subject: NY Ham Radio Volunteer Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 05:51:40 -0400 From: "Jim Wingate-Fac/Staff" The following is a note that I sent my school. Jim ***************************************** This is a summary of my experience in New York City this past week. I was extremely grateful for this chance to volunteer to help (with the support of my family, colleagues at school and my church) and to observe firsthand the men and women rescuers that are truly heroes. The amateur radio operators who are members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service team (ARES) train monthly in the United States in emergency communication techniques that would be used in a time of emergency and in which emergency communications skills would be needed in the field. Hams provide communications usually during the first hours of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake when all traditional communications fail. i.e. telephones, cell phones, radios etc. Typically in an emergency situation, a ham radio operator would provide communications between hospitals, shelters, police and fire departments that would last from two to three hours. However the ham radio assistance could go on for a week or more. The terrorist attack in New York City has been quite a bit different in its enormous size and scope of the emergency communication needs. I was made aware of the call for ham radio operators on September 11th within hours of the attack on the WTC via email. The emergency message was that the NYC hams were activating and within hours of the attack the call went out requesting the need for more volunteers from all over the country. Being a resident of New York City for 30 years the call to go to the city to help was very powerful. I began checking various schedule possibilities in Atlanta to see if it might be possible for me to help. Ham operators were needed for both the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. After I received an email confirming the need for another volunteer I made the decision and arrangements to go to NYC. I flew to New York on September 30th, following the morning Sunday church service and was met by my son John (who is a NYC Police Officer) at JFK on Sunday evening. I was assigned to the Salvation Army SATERN Team on Monday morning and began work at their command center as net controller. Each ham volunteer was requested to bring to New York a Dual Band Mobile (2M/70cm) with a Mag Mount Antenna, a Dual Band HT (2m/70cm) HT, boots, latex gloves, bottled water, particle mask, protective helmet, boots and extra batteries all of which I drug around in a little green bag as I was assigned to various locations during the week. My days always began at the Command Center at the Salvation Army’s Headquarters on West 14th Street each morning at 7:00 AM when I opened the command station and ending - 10, 12 or 16 hours later. Since I was familiar with the streets in Manhattan, I was able to easily direct various unit trucks and cars to locations throughout the city. The ham radio operators rode in the trucks and vans throughout the city delivering supplies and people to the sites as needed. I also spent some time at hanger at JFK (where the supply sorting and distributing occur), the FEMA center on Worth Street (where displaced workers, displaced families, and airline/airport employees are processed for assistance) and at the supply Canteens’ within the “Ground Zero” area. (where I checked engines and generators and transmitted “”Urgent supply needs” to the command center) . The volunteers at ground zero were given an ominous note that stated to listen for: 3 repeated short blasts: Stop working immediately and evacuate. (This signals collapse) 1 long blast: You must be completely silent and shut down all operations. (This indicates that someone has been found). This certainly got my attention and put me on notice of the seriousness of the conditions the workers were laboring under. I worked with a team of truly wonderful people, all volunteers from all round the country and NYC. These hams were active firefighters, police officers, and truck drivers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, students, retired military enlisted and officers. (Some even had relatives that were killed in the disaster). Each ham provided their own communications equipment, supplies and transportation to New York City and the will to “try to assist” the people effected in the disaster in some helpful way. The Salvation Army provided food and a hotel room. You had to be impressed at the compassion shown by the Salvation Army group as they offered food, supplies and help to so many people. The faces of the workers in the “ground zero” zone profoundly struck me. I find that I am not able to forget the look of fatigue and despair as they would come to the canteens for supplies of food. I was not prepared for the intense suffering that I witnessed in the few days with my friends in New York. The great loss of so many innocent people and the many sad stories of families in pain will be forever in my memory. Jim Wingate – WA2EIU – Atlanta September 30th-October 5th, 2001