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Old August 31st 05, 03:41 PM
Bill KB3GUN
 
Posts: n/a
Default Amateur Radio Assistance to Katrina Disaster!


"laborkei" wrote in message
...
I have been watching wwltv.com and wdsutv.com on the Internet.
I keep hearing about the lack of emergency services to communicate.
Does anyone know if any Amateur Operators are being engaged to assist?



Amateur Radio Volunteers Involved in Katrina Recovery
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 30, 2005--Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
volunteers in Louisiana are engaged in the Hurricane Katrina recovery
effort, and more are waiting in the wings to help as soon as they can enter
storm-ravaged zones. Winds and flooding from the huge storm wreaked havoc in
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after Katrina came ashore early Monday,
August 29. Louisiana ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Gary Stratton,
K5GLS, told ARRL that some 250 ARES members have been working with the Red
Cross and the state's Office of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness.
Much of the affected areas remain flooded and dangerous, however. As a
result, state officials have not allowed emergency or other units to enter
the flooded zones, and there is still no communication with many coastal
areas.

The West Gulf ARES Emergency Net remains active (7.285 MHz days/3.873 MHz
nights), and radio amateurs not involved in emergency communication have
been asked to keep these frequencies clear when the net is in session.

A high volume of health-and-welfare requests reportedly is slowing the
passage of critical tactical and emergency traffic. The Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz has been accepting and
handling health-and-welfare inquiries on the air and via its Web site.


Full text he http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/08/30/1/?nc=1

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