‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2012 QST PAGE 76‰ ANYONE THE MIGHT EVER BE ASSIGNED. IT WAS TIME TO GO TO WORK. BURYING MY EMOTIONS, I ASKED A POLICE OFFICER WHERE THE COMMAND CENTER WAS. HE POINTED TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BLANKETED IN A CLOUD OF DUST, CLOSER TO THE SITE. AS I SLOWLY WALKED THERE, I NOTICED A UNIQUE SMELL, THE SMELL OF DEATH. YET THERE WAS ALSO SOMETHING IN THE AIR THAT REMINDED EVERYONE OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE WERE STILL ALIVE BURIED BENEATH THE REMAINS. BOTH MEN AND MACHINES WERE THERE, TRYING REPEATER FOR A FORMAL LIST OF CHECK INS AND AVAILABILITY OF OPERATORS FOR DEPLOYMENT TO HOSPITALS, SHELTERS, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS OR OTHER LOCATIONS SHOULD OTHER ATTACKS BE COMMITTED. OUR TIGHTLY KNIT ARES/RACES GROUP TRAINED EXTENSIVELY FOR A VARIETY OF EMERGENCIES, INCLUDING TERRORIST ACTIONS. I CALLED THE AREA HOSPITALS WE COVERED. SOUTH SIDE HOSPITAL IN BAYSHORE REQUESTED SUPPORT, SO I IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TWO HAMS THERE. OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK CITY TOLD THE HOSPITAL THEY WOULD TRANSPORT VICTIMS WHO WERE BAYSHORE RESIDENTS THERE THE NUMBER COULD BE IN THE HUNDREDS. A SHORT TIME LATER, OUR SISTER TOWN, BABYLON, ACTIVATED ITS NET. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE TELEVISION AT THE EOC DISPLAYED THE EVEN MORE TERRIFYING SCENE OF THE TWIN TOWERS COLLAPSING. EMPTINESS OVERWHELMED ME, AS I THOUGHT, THERE MIGHT NOT BE MANY VICTIMS TO BE TRANSPORTED TO OUR HOSPITALS. I CONTINUED GETTING OUR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IN ORDER. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM NEW YORK CITY LONG ISLAND ARES SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR TOM CARRUBBA, KA2D, WHO HAD BEEN MONITORING OUR TOWNS OPERATIONS. SINCE OUR OPERATION WAS PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY, HE ASKED ME TO PUBLIC SERVICE AT GROUND ZERO DISASTER AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ONE HAMS STORY BOB HEJL, W2IK SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, THE DAY OUR WORLD CHANGED, STARTED LIKE ANY OTHER WEEKDAY MORNING I DRAGGED MYSELF INTO WORK AT FARMINGDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON LONG ISLAND AND BEGAN SETTING UP MY SCHEDULE. I LAZILY TURNED ON A TELEVISION AND HEARD THE NEWS THAT ONE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY HAD CAUGHT FIRE. I HALF LISTENED THERE HAVE BEEN FIRES IN SKYSCRAPERS BEFORE. SHORTLY, THE WORLD DISCOVERED IT WAS A TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES. WHEN I SAW THE HORRIFIC SCENE OF THE SECOND PLANE CRASHING INTO THE SECOND TOWER, I QUICKLY SURMISED THAT VICTIMS WOULD GO TO THE VARIOUS HOSPITALS ON LONG ISLAND. I ALSO FEARED THE BEGINNING OF A LARGER SERIES OF ATTACKS THAT COULD POSSIBLY ENGULF LONG ISLAND. I TOOK LEAVE FROM MY JOB AND DROVE TO MY TOWNS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER EOC IN ISLIP. AS AN ARES ASSISTANT EMERGENCY COORDINATOR AEC, I USED MY MOBILE RIG TO DECLARE A RADIO EMERGENCY AND STARTED A NET ON THE REPEATER. LOCAL ARES/RACES MEMBERS BEGAN CHECKING IN. I PLANNED TO SEND OPERATORS TO THE AREA HOSPITALS. WE WERE WELL TRAINED FOR HOSPITAL DUTY THANKS TO ANNUAL DRILLS WITH THEIR FACILITIES AND STAFFS. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE EOC, I TURNED ON A BANK OF RADIOS AND PUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS WAR ROOM IN ORDER. I ASKED ON OUR ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ