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Amateurs Activate for Duty During September 11 Remembrances
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 13, 2002--As they did a year earlier, members of the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Service and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (NYC ARES/RACES) activated September 11 to assist in the first anniversary observances. In addition, Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) members supported The Salvation Army's commemorative activities.
Some 30 NYC ARES/RACES members assisted the American Red Cross and other organizations during the 9/11 commemoration activities--in some cases remaining on duty for more than 15 hours. Thousands of family members of those who died in the World Trade Center attacks were on hand for the remembrance at Ground Zero. ARES/RACES also supported communication for memorial concerts and other commemorative activities in the five boroughs of New York City, where residents watched the lighting of an eternal flame in Battery Park on giant screens.
"NYC-ARES installed K1RFD's EchoLink system to aid in communications from the Red Cross headquarters--a known RF black hole," said Mark Phillips, KC2ENI/G7LTT, who's the NYC ARES/RACES Public Information Officer. "We believe that this is the first such use of this technology." Phillips also expressed thanks to the Broadcast Engineers Amateur Radio Club for the use of its W2ABC repeater on very short notice.
Security for the events was described as very tight. NYC ARES/RACES had to negotiate with the Secret Service, the FBI, the NYPD and the Port Authority Police Department as well as with the served agencies to be permitted to have radio equipment in the area.
Greater New York SATERN Liaison Officer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, reports that a "small but effective" SATERN operation successfully supplemented The Salvation Army's September 11 World Trade Center event. The team members used both Amateur Radio and GMRS units. Schneller singled out the efforts of Carlos Varon, K2LCV, and his wife Fran for providing radio and operational help.
"Carlos took over and ran the East Side SATERN operations and assisted with the overall canteen operation," Schneller said. "Fran worked nonstop, distributing water and energy bars while providing communications support on the West Side operation." Schneller thanked SATERN Outer County Liaison Jodi Williams for requesting SATERN and for his support.
Schneller also expressed gratitude to the Electchester VHF Club and the Broadcast Engineers Amateur Radio Society for the use of their repeater systems, but he noted that most operation ended up being on FM simplex. He also thanked New York City District Emergency Coordinator Charles Hargrove, N2HOV, for having ARES operators available to support The Salvation Army.
For his part, Hargrove expressed heartfelt thanks to all amateurs who came to New York City to help. "Your community will thank you for it when the need truly arises, as we saw last September 11," he said this week. "Without practice, we would have a tougher time of it." Hargrove urged all amateurs to join their local ARES organizations and become involved in emergency communication training and activities.
Page last modified: 08:43 PM, 13 Sep 2002 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2002, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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