[gcares] Reminder--DO NOT try to send messages INTO Haiti

[FRED STONE]

The message below from ARRL touches on NOT trying to send H&W (health & welfare) messages INTO a disaster area during the early hours/days of a disaster, but the explanation is not very explicit.
 
The basic procedure during disasters such as the Haiti earthquake is NOT to send H&W traffic INTO a disaster area because generally there is no effective process for locating people.  Matter of fact, the ham traffic nets should NOT accept "INBOUND" H&W traffic for a disaster area during the first few days (or until after some degree of stability is re-established).

At the present time, the ham traffic nets should be handling only "OUTBOUND H&W TRAFFIC" from the disaster area and will direct it to the addressee and/or to the Red Cross clearing house or the national 800 number (888-407-4747).

Your should inform any friends requesting your/ham radio assistance to call the local Red Cross office or the national 888 number and list the name(s) of the missing person(s) and any other pertinent information that might be requested.  Your friend should give his/her name and number/email address where he/she can be contacted.  These are "clearinghouses" for matching up reports from Haiti with local requests.

The message below also addresses potential future deployment of US amateur radio resources to Haiti.
 
/...w8lly
EC, Greene County ARES
ADEC, West Central Ohio District 3 ARES
 
 
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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Pitts, Allen W1AGP" <w1agp at arrl.org>
To: "pr list" <pr at reflector.arrl.org>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:34:45 -0500
Subject: [pr:10569] Haiti - lost family members

Many hams are reporting that they have been contacted by family members
hoping to get H&W messages into Haiti.  This is not possible at this
time.  However… attached is the way you can still help them.  The
International Committee of the Red Cross has established protocols. 
Point folks there – and yes, some of these calls have been heartbreakers.
But let’s do what we can to help.

Meanwhile, I am getting the first of the “I want to go to Haiti” calls
and emails here.  At this time we are in contact with a LOT of agencies
and much is going on behind the scenes.  For now there are NO calls for
hams from responding agencies.  This may change quickly – nothing is
assured at all in the developing story.  If there are to be any
assignments, the vetting will go through the section SECs.  So point
anyone that is anxious to go to talk to their section’s SEC.

Allen G. Pitts,  W1AGP
Media & Public Relations Manager 

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio™
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA 
Telephone: (860) 594-0328
APitts at arrl.org