Haiti Earthquake Situation Report #1

Hello to all..

The following is a situation report on the Amateur Radio response to the Haiti Earthquake. Many ARES/RACES/MARS groups across the country and globally have received requests for Health and Welfare traffic. All stations that have HF capability should monitor HF frequencies listed in the sitrep below or scan 20/40/80 Meter bands for any Haitian stations and if any are heard and they have a capability to assist with Emergency/Priority traffic and health and welfare traffic, relay that information to SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network) and IRESC (International Radio Emergency Support Coalition). As of late Wednesday Evening, contact with the affected area has been very difficult. There was brief contact made on one of the HF Nets earlier today. This information is listed below as provided by ARRL and other groups along with a link to an ARRLWeb Story:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/01/13/11288/?nc=1

Hello to all..

The following is a situation report on the Amateur Radio response to the Haiti Earthquake. Many ARES/RACES/MARS groups across the country and globally have received requests for Health and Welfare traffic. All stations that have HF capability should monitor HF frequencies listed in the sitrep below or scan 20/40/80 Meter bands for any Haitian stations and if any are heard and they have a capability to assist with Emergency/Priority traffic and health and welfare traffic, relay that information to SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network) and IRESC (International Radio Emergency Support Coalition). As of late Wednesday Evening, contact with the affected area has been very difficult. There was brief contact made on one of the HF Nets earlier today. This information is listed below as provided by ARRL and other groups along with a link to an ARRLWeb Story:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/01/13/11288/?nc=1

On Tuesday there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, which has since been followed by serious aftershocks.  Communications in and out of Haiti have been disrupted.  No word has been received as of yet from any of the national HH Amateur Radio operators.  The DailyDX notes that HH2/HB9AMO, Pierre, is OK and was located about 140 km north of Port-au-Prince in Cap Haitien at the time.
 
The IARU Region II Area C Emergency Coordinator, Arnie Coro, CO2KK, is coordinating the multi-national response by hams.  There are organized nets on 7045 and 3720 kHz and amateurs are asked to monitor but also keep the frequencies clear of non-essential traffic.  Amateur Radio operators should also be aware that emergency traffic pertaining to the Haitian earthquake is expected on the SATERN frequencies of 14265, 7265 and 3977 according to SATERN’s leader, Major Pat McPherson. The Salvation Army has a website up for H&W traffic and other news at www.satern.org
 
Amateur Radio operators are circled around Haiti in Cuba, Florida, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other locations listening for any calls, but so far only one station has checked in.
 
Rich Moseson of CQ Magazine reported to us that Father John Henault, HH6JH, made contact late Wednesday morning with the Intercontinental Assistance and Traffic Net (IATN) on 14.300 MHz, the IARU Global Centre of Activity frequency for emergency communications. He said that he was safe, but had no power and no phone service. He was operating on battery power and hoping to get a generator running later in the day.
 
Please keep the nets clear for emergency and priority traffic on frequencies :
14300
14265
7045
7265
3977
3720
 
Additional frequencies may be activated on different bands at different times of day, so be sure to listen carefully before transmitting to make sure you are not interfering with emergency traffic.
 
The situation is still chaotic and more information will be posted as soon as possible.  Information is being validated and shared between many amateur groups and news sources as it unfolds.

Global ALE High Frequency Network (HFN) is now
on ALERT for Haiti earthquake Emergency / Disaster
Relief Communications (EMCOMM)

====HFLINK SPECIAL BULLETIN==== 13 JAN 2010
Alert: Haiti Earthquake EMCOMM

HFN Pilot Stations are active and ready 24/7
for ALE calling, relay, and internet messages.

All operators are encouraged to participate in
the ALE Comm Centre live operator chat room
http://hflink. net
and activate ALE radios on the ALE channels:

HFN net (text/internet/ sounding/ calling)
3596.0 USB
7102.0 USB
10145.5 USB
14109.0 USB
18106.0 USB
21096.0 USB
24926.0 USB
28146.0 USB

HFL net (emcomm/voice/ calling)
3791.0 USB
7185.5 USB
14346.0 USB
18117.5 USB
21437.5 USB
24932.0 USB
28312.5 USB

============ ========= ======
END OF BULLETIN
============ ========= ======
Bonnie Crystal, KQ6XA
International Emcomm Coordinator
Global ALE High Frequency Network
http://hflink. net

The following is an update as provided by Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Traffic manager, Jim Ward-N1LKJ, concerning all the health and welfare traffic received to date from all across the country and internationally and this information should be passed to all as a FYI:

On Wednesday’s 2:30PM Eastern Area Traffic Net, Earl WX4J from Florida checked in and told all Hams to hold all Health & Welfare Traffic for now. There are just no outlets for it at this time. They will keep us advised.
 
Traffic can be listed on the Satern web page. www.satern.org On the Satern Net on 14.265 they gave out the information, that the State Department is giving out the phone number 888-407-4747 for all people inquiring about loved ones.
 
73,
Jim Ward N1LKJ STM
 
The International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (IRESC) and the Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network (SATERN) remain active supporting Haiti Earthquake Operations. Indirect contact has been established via email and second hand reporting and info as relayed by SATERN to IRESC and by IRESC operators. Direct contact to the affected area is being attempted by both groups.

The *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system has been connected directly to the *IRESC* echolink conference node: 278173 for listen only purposes. It will remain connected for as long as IRESC is active. Anyone with emergency/priority traffic or health and welfare traffic should connect directly to *IRESC* echolink conference node: 278173. Information on IRESC can be seen via the following link:

http://www.iresc.org/

SATERN is active on HF and has performed liasion with IRESC. Per the SATERN web site, SATERN activities are active on 14.235 MHz Primary for daytime operations and 7265 and 3977.7 Khz for evening and night time operations. Information on SATERN can be seen via the following link:

http://www.satern.org/

Where this is not a hurricane related incident, the VoIP Hurricane Net will not be directly involved in operations, however, net controls and individuals that help with the VoIP Hurricane Net that either have direct contact with Haiti or have relays into Haiti are strongly encouraged to support SATERN and IRESC with their operations. This would benefit those with Emergency/Priority and Health and Welfare traffic into Haiti. Stations that have Health and Welfare traffic to Haiti can provide the info to these groups but it may be several days before the messages will be delivered and relayed back so those that can help with direct contact with Haiti or contact through relays could help speed up the Health and welfare traffic flow.

IRESC has requested net control help and VoIP Hurricane Net controls could be of assistance. Those net controls are encouaged to contact Dennis-AE2EE. His email address was provided on a notice that went only to the VoIP Hurricane Net Net Control Email list.

We wish the best for the victims of this serious earthquake that has affected Haiti. Another situation Report will be posted Thursday evening or sooner if a significant development involving direct contact with Haiti occurs.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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