[South Florida DX Association] CQ and 9-1-1 Magazine coverage

[Bill Marx]

The following is information provided by Pete N8PR and he asked it be sent along to the Club Reflector.
Bill W2CQ


  Bob, 

  I would be happy to help promote Ham Radio any way that I can.  I don't have much info on the ops that I worked with, since I was more into getting things up and running than taking names. The following is what I can tell you, as my first hand experience:

  At about 9 AM on SaturdayAug. 14th,  a message was passed to me via the South FLorida DX Association repeater which stated the following:  "QST  To ALL radio amateurs.  DeSoto County is desperate for help.  They are without electricity and communications.  They are begging for RACES volunteers to come and give assistance.  Bring your RACES ID with you.  Contact KB4BBE - Greg or KF4IHX - Ernie upon arrival into Arcadia on the 147.075 Repeater (PL tone 100 Hz)  Signed W6LMJ"  I was asked to pass this message on to anyone who could help.  After passing it on to two other repeaters I then went to the "WX-TALK" link on Echolink which was tied in to approximately 300 hams who were on Echolink or APRS.  After I gave the info there, I was sitting in my shack, wondering about some ham friends who used to live in the area and had moved up to Highlands County, FL, which id directly east of Arcadia.   I decided I couldn't just sit around, so I loaded the car with an ice chest with what water I had at home, some filled gasoline cans, radio equippment, test equipment, and extra clothing. As I  headed out, I stopped and bought 6 cases of water, since I knew that would be a scarce item. 

  Heading up US 27 was routine until I got near Sebring, FL the home of my friends.  The scope of the storm quickly became apparent as I started to see damage. Vic, N4TO was at home, fortunately with no damage to his house or 4 100+ ft. towers.  He did lose a lot of trees and antennas.  He assured me that Fred-K4LQ, Joe-W4IR and Dave-W4DN were all well.  We chatted for a bit, and I next headed for Arcadia.  En-route, I talked to the Highlands County EC, Dave-WA4BWO, who was doing a great job of co-ordinating the efforts in and around the Sebting/Lake Placid area.  It was obvious that he and the others who were helping were pretty tired and had been at it for days with little sleep.  

  As I headed west on SR 70 into Arcadia the damage I saw became more startling.  It was definitely reminiscent of Huricane Andrew of 12 years before.  Buildings were scattered everywhere as if they had exploded.  Power lines and trees were all laying on the ground.  Fortunately, the 147.075 repeater was up and I was able to quickly find the hams who had asked for help.  The Port St. Lucie ambulance/operation center and trunking system trailer were parked next to the city hall building, which was the center of EOC operations.  As other hams arrived into the area, more systems were set up and communications established with Sarasota EOC.  Local needs were handled on the  147.075 repeater, and health and welfare inquiries went as needed, either locally, to Sarasota or to the "Big Stick" repeater  network (145.430) based in St. Petersburg on a 1000 foot tower.  Later in the day, hams from West Palm Beach, Sarasota and Port St. Jucie arrived in response to the call for help.  Some helped with local logisitcs and others were dispatched to shelters for the night. 

  Since more help had arrived, and the sutuation was becoming mroe manageable, I returned to Highlands County.  While there, I was able to give the gasoline I had to a shelter worker who did not have enough gas to get home.  I helped in one of the shelters for a while, and then before leaving for home, delivered the 6 cases of water to another shelter where critical care patients were being helped. 

  The drive home was eerie, with no lights anywhere for the first 60 miles.  As I got back to unaffected areas, I thanked God that more people were not hurt or displaced and that my friends and I were all OK.   

  If you want more information on the Port St. Lucie system, I suggest you contact KB4BBE or KF4IHX who set the system up.  Unfortunately, I don't have other photos, except one of an unknown ham at the mike... I might be able to find his call.  It doesn't really show much.  I was busy working, so I didn't take more photos -- sorry. 

  (For those I am copying, the ARRL page is at: http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/08/16/100/?nc=1
  A good article about the relief efforts.)

  If you need Hi-res copies of any of the 5 photos,  I can provide those. 

  Let me know if you need anything else. 

  73,  PeteR
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Wa3pzo at aol.com 
    To: n8pr at arrl.net 
    Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 8:30 PM
    Subject: CQ and 9-1-1 Magazine coverage


    Pete,

    I saw your photos on the ARRL web page. I'm writing to you wearing 2 different hats. As CQ Public Service Editor, I would be interested in more info on the Port St. Lucie and Sarasota groups providing communications and the work that they did. Do you have other pictures that I might be able to use in my CQ article on the Hurricane? Proper credit would be given for the photos. 

    Secondly I have a request from 9-1-1 Magazine to write a short piece on amateur radio support. I'm sure the trunking system would be of interest to their readers. I would be interested in wide angle shot similar to ones on ARRL page and possibly operators at work. My understanding is that 9-1-1 Magazine does pay the photographer for photos (hi-res) used. I have copied the request below. I have recently worked with the editor on a story on ham radio and he did a good job. He wants to promote ham radio and he's not a ham.

    Would you be interested in providing some information by next week on your operations? 
    73s

    Bob