Tag Archives: Emergency Response

KE2YK Reports on Ham Radio in Haiti

Ham Radio

[Many thanks to Bill Seidel of Revanche, a long-time ham operator, for his infinite patience in explaining ham and RF operations. We’re going to try to keep reporting on ham operations in, to, and from Haiti.]

KE2YK’s Random Oscillations reports on ham radio efforts in Haiti. From ARRL Sends Ham Aid To Haiti:

Even though the communications infrastructure in earthquake-ravaged Haiti is being rebuilt, there is still need for Amateur Radio communications. To assist in this effort, the ARRL’s Ham-Aid program is providing equipment for local amateurs to use.

On Friday, January 22, the League sent a programmed Yaesu VHF repeater with a microphone, as well as ICOM handheld transceivers, Yaesu mobile 2 meter rigs with power supplies and Kenwood mobile 2 meter rigs. Comet antennas, Larsen mobile antennas with magnet mounts, coax and batteries were also included in the package that was shipped to the home of the President of the Radio Club Dominicano (RCD) for distribution. All items were donated by their manufacturers.

Haiti

“In the horror of this tragedy, there still are stars and the cooperation between the ARRL, IARU Region 2 and the Radio Club Dominicano and has been bright,” said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP .

“It was donations from our members and friends that began the Ham Aid program in Katrina’s aftermath. Now once again, that sharing between hams will provide help in another worst-case incident. ARRL members and donors need to know that their gifts will be used very well indeed.”

How You Can Help in Haiti

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Chivalry is Alive and Well On Campus

Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, 2:00 AM. New Brunswick, NJ. A young man, let’s call him Al, came upon a 17 year-old young woman, who’s name is omitted to preserve her anonymity and dignity. She was in a state of staggering intoxication. Al called his friend Bill, who knew the girl, knew her parents, and took responsibility for her. Bill called an ambulance, rode in it with the girl to the hospital, called her parents, sat with her in the emergency room, from 2:30 to 8:00 AM, at which time the girl’s parents arrived, before returning to his room at the Alpha Beta lodge of Sigma Delta.

The girl’s Blood Alcohol Level, BAC, was 0.275. A BAC of 0.300, 16% below the level of surgical anaesthesia (BRAD / Wikipedia ), can turn lead to a coma, which can be fatal. (Note that a BAC of 0.080 is the legal definition of intoxication for the purposes of a drunken driving offense. The girl’s was 3 1/2 times the legal limit.) Therefore it is not a stretch to consider that at a cost to Bill of a night’s sleep, he and Al saved the girl’s life.

The editors of Popular Logistics are to know Bill. We know the girl’s parents will always remember this and will be forever grateful. We hope the girl has learned something as well.

Terrible Problems with 911 Systems

9-1-1 Should Never Give Me A Busy Signal. By Jason Kincaid at TechCrunch.

Last night I got word that my parents had witnessed a tragic accident while driving in Northern California. I won’t get into the details, but suffice to say one person was killed and others were left bleeding, in various states of unconsciousness. Thank God my parents were not hurt in the accident, but they witnessed it first hand, as well as the disturbing aftermath.

Immediately after the accident, my parents and other witnesses began trying to dial 9-1-1. Attempt after attempt resulted in a busy signal. This isn’t unusual in the event of an emergency, as multiple dialers often tie up the lines to report the same incident. Except it seems that nobody managed to get through for far too long: emergency personal didn’t arrive for 20 minutes. The first officer to arrive at the scene said it took him two minutes to get there from the time he got the call. Which means that it took approximately 18 minutes for the news to reach him in the first place. Continue reading →