Kevin P. Inscoe - Disaster - Fri Nov 21 06:19:59 2008

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Last updated: 1122 day(s) ago (Wed Oct 26 07:02:17 2005)	Fri Nov 21 06:19:59 2008

1st Person Katrina Report

From: "David R. Yoder" attorney %at% dejazzd (dot) com Sent: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 19:09:23 -0400 To: cvarc [at] yahoogroups ^dot^ com When I arrived at DR871 early this morning the parking lot held the nation's populace of Budget Rental trucks - hundreds of them decked out with Red Cross posters stuck to their sides. From the roadway they blocked the sight of dozens more busses and scores of civilian vehicles. DR871 once was a super Kmart, but now was an empty shell in what probably once held hopes of becoming a strip mall. But the building afforded all the necessities for the paramilitary operations that was unfolding both inside and out. Hundreds of volunteers arrived throughout the day. Their license plates showed origins from all parts of the country. Some arrived in Gucci jeans and $100 sweatshirts. Some looked like extras for the next Rambo movie. Most were in suburban fatigues, hiking boots and the ever-present Red Cross vest. My own processing-in was swift. A one page form, "Oh good, you're a ham," listing next of kin and, "The ARES people are all over there. We're so glad y'all are here." That's all it took. After hearing some of the rumors I was disappointed. Here I had my licenses, immunizations, security clearances, blood type, and a DNA swab all ready to go. I didn't need them. But what I DID need was a guide. The inside of the old store was cavernous and there was a poorly hand-drawn map posted up near where I came in. So, in ham tradition, I started wandering about looking for an ARES banner. There were tables and makeshift kiosks for every possible support function. Some were formal. Some, like the one made up of what was left of the cosmetics counters, were imagin- ative. Overhead it appeared a gigantic spider had woven its web with computer and phone wires. Computers were everywhere! Here was team medical support, there was community liaison. Over there was PR and communications - right across from mental health. (Why did that seem logical to me?) Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, was in the radio area, seated under an ARRL flag. Along with Monica Potaczala, KI4ELD, and Joseph Creel, WB4AWM. Monica was doing all the administrative recording and paperwork while also fulfilling the role of the cheerful clown who kept everyone from being overcome by events. I have often thought this activity should be a formal part of ARES training as this role is critical in so many pressured situ- ations. God love the clowns who keep us from spinning out of control! If ever someone takes up my idea of having a course for this needed function, Monica should write the book. She never missed a beat of her real work, nor a possible quip to make people feel better. I would like to say something about WB4AWM too. All day long he sat there monitoring two radios at a time, wearing two headsets at once. He must be a contester because I never saw him move. Calls in, requests for directions, keeping tabs on nets and all the ham radio related on-air work was handled by this one person. Not that others did not offer to help, but he just had it down to a "system". I think I would have liked to talk to him more, but we both had our jobs to do, so he was simply WB4AWM. Still, he was great at it. Greg is a section manager, but it was obvious he's been through this before, even if nothing this large. Noting the many tornado shelter signs posted in the building, I think I know how he got OJT over the years. Through the day, in between radio interviews via cellphone, I followed the events. While cell service is coming back after 10 days in the recovery areas, it is spotty and often overloaded. As soon as it comes up, everyone wants to talk on it. The landlines are still pretty much out in the recovery areas. They need HF operators badly. VHF and UHF just are not working out. There is a constant ringing of the phone on the table requesting more and more people. Greg fills the needs on apriority basis, keeping an eye on who is where and might cover more than one shelter by having a precious HF station . Some wonder why there was a cutback on H&W. I know I did. But the emergency and priority messages are more important. Also there is a psychology to it. The residents in shelters must all be treated the same in a region or those that are privileged to get out their own H&W message are resented by those who could not. Having "some" raises the expectations that it can be available to all - and that's not possible yet. Soon it will be as I saw the Red Cross techs, many of the hams, testing out high speed mobile digital communications gear before deployment. But for now, the Red Cross has focused on the priority messages and holding the H&W traffic. It's a judgment call, but one I agree with for today. I saw perhaps a dozen hams processed through the ARRL desk on the first day I was there. There probably were more, but I was often called away from the desk by phone calls. The noise in the room is too loud to talk on a phone in there. Hundreds of people talking has an ebb and flow to it like the noise level static on 20m. The one thing I did NOT see all day was anyone get openly angry or nasty. Given the pressures of the situation, that was remarkable and a comment on the caliber of the people there. There are a great many hams in action who are not part of the Alabama ARES operation. The Red Cross has their own hams. Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, and I talked and he's using hams to provide communications with the Salvation Army food trucks when he can get them. He too needs more hams. (If you can help, he's in Jacksonville at 917-226-1339, but please do not call if you cannot help out there). Several of the VOAD or NOVAD type church groups also have hams. But Amateur Radio is still the ONLY means of communication in some areas, and filling the emergency response functions for police, fire and medical. I was surprised to learn from Greg that FEMA reported today that there are still two hospitals that have no communications at all. There was hope at learning that the ARRL HQ has been collecting donations from both the large and small ham equipment manufacturers. This gear will be sent here asap. As always in such things, there are some errors and glitches (we've never been through this before) but the people who you see advertise in QST are responding and the HQ staff is sending it out to where it's needed as fast as they can. I am sure a final listing and major "Thank You" will come out when the dust settles, and you will see just how these companies set aside profit and position for caring and action in this tragedy. |From a technical perspective, one of the big problems is how to set up a vertical 75 and 40m antenna in some very tight quarters. I myself will be interested in watching how this plays out as I have a postage stamp size back yard back home. But it sounds like some locations are even tighter than that in the shelter areas. I know that several dif- ferent antenna types are coming and I look forward to learning which ones did best in which locations. What you do not see, or at least I did not, was packet. I heard no mention of it all day long. I know the NTS and some others will not like that, but well... I just didn't! The meat and potatoes of this action is clearly voice communications. Nor was there anything heard involving CW ops. If they are there, no one mentioned them all day long. Tomorrow I have another on-air radio interview. Folks up north like the idea of talking to someone actually down here - which is one of the reasons I came. Harold Kramer of ARRL-HQ has also set up some- thing with Connecticut Public TV tomorrow in which he will be in the TV studio while I talk on the phone. I just hope that the local Montgomery cell service holds up. It got shakey at times today and I will need it a lot tomorrow. I apologize for any typos and errors in this. It's not easy for me to type on a laptop that is actually in my lap, but the motel's table is covered with radio gear and far too high for writing. Some of the radio gear needs repair due to the "FAA inspection" at Bradley airport. The worst was that they broke off all the poles and wires in the back of my SEC 1223 power supply. I guess they didn't know what it was, so they broke it for my security. (As my wife says, "God save us from those who would save us.") Good night all. Allen W1AGP If you are considering sending Allen a reply on this or a comment, please wait until he has a chance to return to CT and get back into the routine. We all wish him well on his trip, along with all the amateurs there presently, and those hams who have yet to serve in this effort. Jim McDonald, KB9LEI ARRL PR Committee Muncie, IN, ARC Public Information Officer When All Else Fails... ...Amateur Radio Sitemap: [ Home | My professional site | Sig | Blogs | Podcasts | Where is Kevin? | Contact | Resume | More about Kevin ] [ Geek | Weather | Radio | Aero | Electronics | Trains | GPS | Music | Travel | Movies | For sale | Photos ] [ Mailing Lists | Quotes | Looking for a job? | Cheap gas? | Public files | Links | Changes ] [ Inscoe Family | The Volt Company | Yellow Twister Hosting | Refuge Software ] [ Central Florida Geeks | Central Florida Unix Professionals ] Why are these pages black?This site is Lynx friendly! Current time in Deltona, Florida, United States [28.9002N 81.2419W | Grid: EL98jv] is Fri Nov 21 06:19:59 2008 Copyright © 1995-2005 Kevin P. Inscoe Viewable With Any Browser This website and all original artwork and material is © copyright 2005 Kevin P. Inscoe. Other material is used under the "Fair Use" provisions of United States of America Copyright law, and all rights remain with the original copyright holders.