[ARRL-OK] OKLAHOMA AMATEUR RADIO SAVE LIVES DURING HURRICANE KATRINA

[Mark D. Conklin N7XYO]

OKLAHOMA AMATEUR RADIO SAVE LIVES DURING HURRICANE KATRINA

August 29, 2005, Tulsa, OK – There were 15 people trapped on a roof of
their home in New Orleans as the floor waters from Hurricane Katrina raged
by. They clung to the roof and watched as others floated by in the rushing
floodwaters. They had a cell phone but none of the local emergency numbers
worked. So they called a relative in Baton Rouge Louisiana, who called a
relative in Broken Arrow Oklahoma, who called the Tulsa Chapter of the
American Red Cross.

Sybil Hayes of Broken Arrow, OK was worried about her 81-year old aunt and
her cousins in New Orleans as she watched the coverage of the storm on the
CNN. She tried and tried to call her Aunt but all circuit were busy. Then
her phone rang. A relative in Baton Rouge gave her the news of her elderly
Aunt.

Sybil knew that the Red Cross could help, since the Red Cross helped her
family before in a flood in 1995. She immediately contacted the Tulsa
Oklahoma Chapter of the Red Cross.

The Tulsa Chapter of the Red Cross has a partnership with The Tulsa
Repeater Organization a local Amateur Radio group dedicated to public
service. And they have a plan. Red Cross emergency services put the plan
into action and contacted a TRO response team member Paul Papke WB5MPU.
Papke a long time member of TRO and Red Cross Volunteer. Papke then
rounded up TRO member Ben Joplin WB5VST to help get the message through. 
Joplin responded to the Red Cross Emergency Operations Center. The EOC at
the Tulsa Chapter of the Red Cross has a fantastic HF station ready for
action.

Ben made to contact with net controllers on the Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14265.  The emergency traffic went
from Oregon to operators in Idaho to Amateur Radio Emergency Services
stations in New Orleans who alerted the Louisiana Highway Patrol.

When all else fails
 Amateur Radio Works, is more than a catchy tag line.
It’s a lifeline. As of 10PM CST the Red Cross reported that Sybil Hayes’
81-year old Aunt and everyone on that roof are safe and at a Red Cross
shelter.


Mark Conklin, N7XYO – Oklahoma Public Information Coordinator
Phone: 918-232-8346
E-mail: n7xyo at arrl.net

MEDIA HIT: KOTV and KTUL covered this store on 10PM news 8/29/05 and
Morning News 8/30/05.