[SMCARA] [Fwd: WE KNOW AMATEUR RADIO CAN HELP]

[petebutt at comfac.com]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: WE KNOW AMATEUR RADIO CAN HELP
From:    "elp" <elp at tannercreek.com>
Date:    Tue, August 30, 2011 2:28 pm
To:      smcara at mailman.qth.net
         "KC0WKX at tannercreek.com" <KC0WKX at tannercreek.com>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


August 25, Emergency Management – (National) East coast quake highlights
need for
public safety wireless network. The earthquake that struck Virginia August
23, and was
felt from New York City to the Carolinas, was followed by cellular network
congestion —
thus spurring officials to call for a national broadband network dedicated
to public
safety. People seeking information flooded 911 call centers and cellular
networks
following the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that damaged buildings, but did not
cause any
serious injuries. Cellular networks appeared to be intact, but congested
due to higher
than normal call volume, said CTIA-The Wireless Association, an industry
group
representing wireless carriers, in a statement. The U.S. Department of
Homeland Security
issued a statement asking members of the public to use text messages and
e-mail for
communications, except in emergencies, so first responders could continue
to respond to
911 calls. Public safety answering points were jammed with callers seeking
information
about friends or relatives, according to the Washington Post.
Charlottesville, Virginia’s
911 call center experienced an outage that lasted as long as an hour.
Administrative and
command staff at the Distrcit of Columbia Fire Department had difficulty
communicating
via cell phones but were able to communicate using land lines and land
mobile radios,
said a department spokesman. A Capitol Police spokesperson said a number of
organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs and
FCC, planned
surveys of emergency communications following the quake.

Source:http://www.emergencymgmt.com/safety/East-Coast-Quake-Public-Safety-Wireless-Network.html



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