[FARC] HAMS on the job, From ARRL web site

[Ernest Hansen]

Radio Amateurs Provide Communication Support in Boston Marathon Bombings -- 
UPDATED
TAGS:aid stations, amateur radio, amateur radio operators, amateur radio 
volunteers, amateurs, american red cross, boston marathon, eastern 
massachusetts, Eastern Massachusetts ARES, finish line, ham operators, net 
control, red cross, Rob Macedo, runners, section emergency coordinator, State 
Police
04/16/2013 
As has happened many times in years past, over 200 Amateur Radio operators 
participated in communications for the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 
2013. Unlike prior challenging situations such as very warm weather for the 
runners or other weather-related challenges, this year’s marathon will be 
remembered for the bombings that took place at the finish line. Despite this 
heinous act, professional first responders, medical volunteers from the American 
Red Cross that staffed the route, and Amateur Radio operators performed 
magnificently in the face of adversity.
“Within minutes, cell phone systems became overloaded and making phone calls and 
text messages was difficult. Amateur Radio operators performed communication 
duties under duress and performed admirably. No Amateur Radio volunteers were 
injured on the course in this terrible act,” said Steve Schwarm, W3EVE, who is 
the Amateur Radio Course Communication Coordinator and associated with a 
consortium of clubs and groups known as Marathon Amateur Radio Communications 
(MARC).
“At the finish line net control, which was only 400 feet from the initial blast, 
we heard the explosion. I poked my head outside to confirm what I thought it was 
and saw the white smoke. We immediately knew what had happened and commenced a 
roll call of all ham operators and medical tents.  State Police authorities 
initially ordered us to lock down and post a ham for security watch outside the 
net control trailer. Thankfully none of our people were hurt,” said Paul 
Topolski, W1SEX, Amateur Radio Finish Line Coordinator.
Following the explosion and roll call, Topolski stated that they began pulling 
together updates and sent the information via the Massachusetts Emergency 
Management Agency (MEMA) Web-EOC software tool and provided updates via Amateur 
Radio. Shortly after sending a few updates both Boston Police and Massachusetts 
State Police gave the order for the tent area to be evacuated. “In my mind, the 
course end of things is where a lot of work needed to happen as runners 
eventually needed to be stopped, congregated and transported to safety and 
staging areas,” Topolski said. “At the finish line, our job was to check on the 
safety of our people, provide those initial updates and evacuate per police 
instructions. Three of our Amateur Radio operators redeployed to the Boston 
Marathon Course Net Control Center.”
Across the course outside of the finish line after the bombings occurred, first 
aid stations were consolidated to larger first aid stations to pool runners for 
pickup and to keep runners warm as there were enhanced tents along the route 
where runners could be kept warm and hydrated. At the Heartbreak Hill first aid 
station, amateur operators had a complete base station setup, including a 
computer, and were prepared to handle health and welfare traffic as required. 
Several shelters were set up along the route at churches and schools, and 
Amateur Radio operators from secured first aid stations went to those shelters, 
providing communications in those areas until runners were moved out of their 
locations.
“My role at the request of Steve, W3EVE, as event organizer before the race was 
to shadow the course medical tent coordinator for the Red Cross, Kandi Finch,” 
said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, who is also the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section 
Emergency Coordinator. “It was a challenging position but all organizers on both 
the Amateur Radio side and Red Cross side said things went well in coordinating 
during normal race conditions and particularly after the bombings.”
At course net control, which was away from the bombings, ham operators 
controlled their nets calmly and professionally while also expressing an 
appropriate level of urgency. Over a dozen amateurs at the net control center 
pooled together to announce messages and keep status of changes along the course 
route as required.
Net Control Center Coordinator, Karen Brothers, K1KEB, kept in constant contact 
with MEMA, where Terry Stader, KA8SCP, was stationed. Stader became the MEMA 
‘Ops’ point person at the State Emergency Operations Center as runners were 
transported from the shelters to other staging locations. From his location at 
the EOC, Stader was able to sort out the sheltering plan and reception centers 
for the runners, subsequent transport of runners from shelter locations and give 
out information on MBTA bus and train operations.
Jim Palmer, KB1KQW -- who served as a net control at the Net Control Center -- 
stated that nets were doubled up on operators, to allow one person to operate 
the radio while the other listened and logged priority calls and ambulance 
requests, creating a more efficient operation. “Several ambulance requests for 
dehydration and exhaustion were handled due to the runners needing to be 
stopped,” Palmer said. The specific net that Palmer ran also provided a link 
between the marathon course and the American Red Cross in its Cambridge 
facility. Lou Harris, N1UEC; Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O, and Dan Howard, K1DYO, 
staffed the Red Cross in Cambridge. 

Many amateur operators who volunteered along the marathon route praised Net 
Control’s support after the bombing. “Net Control did an awesome job,” said 
course volunteer David Wihl, KB1VEG. “The workload was busiest after seven hours 
on the radio, and it didn’t let up for another couple hours.”
Several young radio amateurs from the Clay Center Amateur Radio Club also 
supported Net Control Operations, both as direct net control operators and 
runners for the operation as they have done in the past. This provided a 
tremendous learning opportunity for these young operators, from both an Amateur 
Radio perspective and an overall learning perspective.
“Despite the total lack of warning in this situation, amateurs followed a creed 
I’ve long since preached since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the mutual aid 
response to those attacks: ‘blessed are the flexible for they will not get bent 
out of shape,’” said Steve Schwarm, W3EVE. “Amateurs on the course did what they 
had to do to assure their own safety and runner safety working with the Red 
Cross medical people. They did an outstanding job and I was told so by Red Cross 
organizers as well.” 

From an ARES perspective, a heightened state of awareness on the Boston Marathon 
event is typical, but within 15 minutes of the bombings, Eastern Massachusetts 
ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Carl Aveni, N1FY, issued an ARES 
Stand-By and requested that amateurs give availability for the next 24 hours. 
Within minutes, 20 amateurs offered their availability.
The ARES sub-regional command center at the Acushnet, Massachusetts EOC (under 
call sign WA1EMA) was utilized as a control point to obtain critical situational 
awareness of the rapidly changing situation, as well as to monitor resource nets 
per a report filed by Acushnet Emergency Management Communications Officer Ed 
Caron, KA1RSY; he also serves as the South Shore Massachusetts ARES District 
Emergency Coordinator. A total of five Amateur Radio operators were deployed to 
this facility. An ARES resource net was called on the 147.18 Bridgewater 
repeater with Byron Piette, K1YCQ, as net control with 11 stations checking into 
the net.
“In terms of having amateurs within ARES who cannot get directly involved in the 
marathon, we have a process where we have them monitor in case of a situation 
like what occurred on Monday. That process paid off and facilitated a rapid 
response to our request for possible additional support,” said Carl Aveni, N1FY.
Some radio amateurs who volunteered in the Boston Marathon have posted their 
stories online; read one such storyis from Tim Carter, W3ATB, of Meredith, New 
Hampshire. 

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