[mvarbb] [Fwd: WEAVER'S WORDS - HURRICANE KATRINA SPECIAL]

Fri Sep 2 06:35:30 EDT 2005

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: WEAVER'S WORDS - HURRICANE KATRINA SPECIAL
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 06:02:08 -0400
From: ARRL Web site <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
To: allenr at dma.org

(Send all replies to k8je at arrl.org.)

I am forwarding two special documents for your information.  The first
is an update report on the ongoing and expnding work our HQ staff is
doing to plan and arrange many aspects of the management of relief
efforts.  The second is a statement released by ARRL President Jim
Haynie, W5JBP concdrning our role in the relief effort.  Incidentally,
I spoke with Jim by telephone only minutes after one of the HF disaster
relief nets secured for the day on Wednesday.  He, along with FCC
enforcement guru Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH and many additional hams
had been working on this net for hours.

Just think of this for a moment.  We have President Haynie, Riley and a
host of their fellow "just-plain-hams" devoting many hours to serving
disaster victims by Amateur Radio.

For your information and without embellishment, I present:

kATRINA UPDATE AND KATRINA TEAM

From: Harold Kramer
Sept 1, 2005

Here are some of the Katrina related activities that we Have started
today:

Jodi Morin, Maty Weinberg, Norm Fusaro and Dennis otschenbacher have
joined the Katrina SWAT Team.  we are still meeting daily to coordinate
activities.

Jodi, Maty and Norm will coordinate all donations of and requests for
equipment.  We have had some requests already and we need a more
coordinated process.

Mary is working with Barry on a more formal process to accept cash and
equipment donations.

Chuck Skolaut is working with Riley Hollingsworth to coordinate
enforcement and interference issues related to Katrina nets.

We are initiating some higher level contacts with the served agencies.

Jim Haynie's President's message about Katrina was posted on the web.
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/09/01/2/?nc=1

News and PR will be managed as follows:
Rick Lindquist -- News stories
Allen Pitts -- Media and PR queries
Steve Ewald and Chuck Skoulat -- Logistics and Operational queries

We are working on an expanded Katrina web page to be ready early next
week.

A special edition of the EmComm newsletter will be sent next week.

Dennis will communicate our plans to vendors and manufacturers.

We are working on weekend/holiday staffing to handle Katrina inquires

FCC Chairman Martin has asked if we need anything from the FCC!

Allen Pitts spoke with the following media contacts today (actual
interviews or information):
1.  Interview on WTIC AM 1080 Hartford
2.  Wall Street Journal
3.  Washington Post
4.  WVIT, TV- 30 Hartford
5.  Channel 5 Nashville
6.  Channel 5 Boston (Technical issues)
7.  AM Radio Station in Kansas City, MO
8.  Los Angeles AM Radio Station
9.  Interview on WDRC AM Hartford (Fri)
10. British Television interview broadcast in England today
11. WICC AM, Bridgeport, CT
12. Fox News -- National
13. Hartford Courant Newspaper
14. ABC Radio in Washington DC
15. Voice of America (Interview Fri)
16. WMAL Washington DC Radio
17. St. Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper
18. ABC Television, Phoenix

Winlink is taking our W1AW bulletins and distributing them on their
networks.  We have added the live audio stream from the West Gulf ARES
Emergency Net which is handling emergency amateur radio traffic for
areas hit by Hurricane Katrina to our website.
http://www.arrl.org/audio/

73,

Harold, WJ1B

Harold Kramer, WJ1B
Chief Operating Officer

PRESIDENT HAYNIE'S MESSAGE

Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 4:10 PM
Subject: President Haynie's Message

My fellow Amateur Radio Operators,

There is no doubt that the recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina
will be the largest and longest emergency actions that hams have ever
undertaken.  It will also be one of the hardest, not simply due to the
large areas involved, but also because many of us have friends and
relatives directly impacted by this catastrophe.  For them, and all the
people of the Gulf region, we ask divine aid and comfort in this time
of sorrows.

But we are also hardened and resolved to turn this event into one of
the most glorious opportunities to show the unique attributes of ham
radio - it works!  You know that.  We can again show the world that we
have the best trained, most ingenious and dedicated ARES and RACES
operators ever in history.  We have the attention of the world press,
and we will show what ham radio can do.

This will not happen in a week, not even in a month.  The recovery
efforts will be drawn out over numerous states and are expected to go
well into the winter.  Hams will grow weary and need relief and
replacement from all across rica.  The ARRL, the national association
for Amateur Radio, is already working on straic plans to make it
possible for these volunteers to come.  Our goal is to provide the
SEC's with all the support we can muster and allow them to do their
jobs.

There is a curious coincidence in the fact that the United Technologies
grant, which allowed the ARRL to train so many thousands of hams in
emergency communications, ends this week.  Now we are seeing the
results of that effort.  Disciplined hams, using correct procedures
have already saved many lives, and will save hundreds more by
providing
timely, accurate and critical communications to our served agencies.

To the students, mentors, organizers, funders and teachers of those
courses we can only say, "Well done!"

I know many people would like to move NOW - please don't.  I know many
of you want to enter the fray, come to the coast and get involved.
Please, not yet.  Instead, get yourself ready.  Refresh your skills and
knowledge of protocols and procedures.  Once the agencies are able to
complete a preliminary needs assessment, we will know who is needed and
where.  For now, the area is simply too dangerous and no one is being
allowed in.  Transportation and logistics, including volunteer groups
coming in, must be done in an orderly manner or we may only add to the
chaos and confusion.   Information and coordination for such a
historically large response is being developed and will be made
available soon.  But for now, work through your SEC's and follow their
lead.  I would also ask that you be professional and disciplined
whenever checking into an HF net.   Net control is a difficult job at
best, so be respectful.  If you have traffic fine, but if not, please
stand by.

There is already no doubt that when the history of this event is
written, to role of Amateur Radio will be one of honor.  Unpaid
volunteers who came through for their country and communities when all
other systems failed or were overwhelmed.  By working together and
mutually supporting each other, we can perhaps give these very dark
days a small glint of glory.  Let these be the days that hams, decades
from now, remember with pride.  Together we can - and will - make it
happen because, after all, we are HAMS.

Jim Haynie, W5JBP
President
ARRL

73,

Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.:  513-459-0142; E-mail:  k8je at arrl.org
ARRL:  The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS:  The reason ARRL Is!

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ARRL Great Lakes Division
Director: James Weaver, K8JE
k8je at arrl.org
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