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Author Topic: American Red Cross  (Read 1273 times)

KG7LEA

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American Red Cross
« on: October 26, 2020, 07:02:45 PM »

I note that the American Red Cross will no longer include Amateur Radio will no longer be part of the national communications strategy.

Does anyone have insight into this? The Force of Fifty?
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WA9AFM

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2020, 07:51:49 PM »

We ran into a similar situation in the OKC area.  ARC initially wanted amateur radio support and offered spaces for meetings, training, and operations.  A new regime came and suddenly cel phones and satellite phones were the order of the day.
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W9FIB

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2020, 03:15:47 AM »

In many ways, our hobby becomes less relevant because of advances in consumer electronics. Plus you don't need another person to get the message through when you can do it yourself.

A person with a sat phone still has the world at its fingertips even in a disaster zone.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

K4PIH

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2020, 05:43:52 AM »

ARC will learn the error of its ways soon enough, just like Navy/MC Mars is finally understanding. I have Iridium satphones at my desk and they are a pain in the A$$ to use. Here's the scenario: People are shooting at you or you are stuck in a hurricane. You have to be outside and hold the satphone at the proper angle to just get a signal. Then you have to put in your security codes just right or it becomes a paper weight. So, let's say you manage to get a signal from a satellite (good luck with that) and you've managed to get all the right access codes in. You also manage to not get shot or hit by flying debris. You dial a number and it actually rings on the other end, then the call drops because the satellite has moved on and the handoff to the next one did not get through. Rinse repeat. If you are sitting on your keester after a hurricane and you get a signal, then you have a fair chance of completing your call.
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KG7LEA

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2020, 08:09:11 AM »

I have Iridium satphones at my desk and they are a pain in the A$$ to use. Here's the scenario: People are shooting at you or you are stuck in a hurricane. You have to be outside and hold the satphone at the proper angle to just get a signal. Then you have to put in your security codes just right or it becomes a paper weight. So, let's say you manage to get a signal from a satellite (good luck with that) and you've managed to get all the right access codes in.

In one anecdote a physician at a hospital sought help from a ham in operating his sat phone. The ham took him to the parking lot and showed him, but the patients were in the hospital and going to the parking lot to make a call was just not tenable.
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KG7LEA

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2020, 08:10:05 AM »

From the Red Cross

·         For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy.
·         Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses.
·         In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has  MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities.
·         It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources.
·         The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
 
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WA9AFM

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2020, 12:06:03 PM »

Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, who was a member of the Force Fifty team who traveled to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, gave a presentation at Oklahoma City's 'Ham Holiday 2018'.  Although only scheduled to speak about 30 minutes, she continued for over an hour and had everyone on the edge of their seats. 

She emphasized how civil agencies asserted their cel phones and whiz-bang satellite phones would work fine, they quickly discover both systems were either down or inaccessible. 

She went on to cite the numerous situations where amateur radio was the only mode of communications between various medical, logistics, and command agencies on the island.  In several cases, amateur radio had comm links up and running before the civil authorities even realized the links were needed.

When all else fails, amateur radio.

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AC7CW

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2020, 03:37:57 PM »

The Ham advantage is that the equipment is in use all the time, therefore it is up and running. I'd be willing to bet that when needed, many will not know how to operate the sat phone nor will it be charged or the manual's location known. I saw this first hand when volunteering with the Red Cross, albeit with older equipment than a sat phone.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 03:40:39 PM by AC7CW »
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W9FIB

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2020, 04:05:44 AM »

When all else fails, amateur radio.

What did the world do before amateur radio?

In today's world, we need less ego and more compassion. As I said a long time ago, volunteering is not about radio, but rather as simple as pouring coffee or handing out a blanket. The problem is too many people won't start unless radio is involved, and will pack it in when radio use is done. Or stand around drinking up the coffee waiting for that elusive time when the radio may be used. It is more about helping people in any way you can...not just a singular service which is but 1 very small tool. Which is why we are perceived as dead wood by many organizers. We often react like we are too good to do other things for those who lost everything.

When a person is cold, wet, tired, and asking for help, can you really look them in the eye and say "I just do radio"? I have heard this perception loud and clear way to often.

That is the main reason for the change. Technology today brings many people to a common level. The need for compartmentalized volunteers is over. There are no resources any more for someone to stand around when other work needs to be done.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

KG7LEA

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2020, 05:51:02 AM »

I suspect ARC's experience with amateur radio in Puerto Rico colored this decision. The volunteers arrived on Day 8 or 9 of the disaster with ARRL equipment with a plan to support shelters, but that need no longer existed. The volunteers were left to select a leader and find something to do. They found missions including support the EOC (not an ARC or amateur radio mission). Field teams used hams, but having an extra body in the car just to talk on the radio might not have been cost effective. Not all the ARRL volunteers performed professionally.

Building and maintaining a radio infrastructure is time consuming and expensive. As chapters occupy smaller quarters, radio is not in the blueprints. In my community, planning for shelters does not include ARC.
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W1JPP

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2020, 08:52:06 AM »

You never know when all will fail...

During Hurricane Wilma in 2005 I lived in delray beach, fl...I did not have a home vhf/uhf station set up as we had recently moved...so I used an oven pan and a mag external antenna up on a shelf with a short run of coax to a handheld to listen to the two EOC's in palm beach county and broward county. I also had a battery powered TV, in addition to my generator going (but tough to add fuel during a cat 3)...to watch where the storm was...my sat tv did not get a signal, but my analog battery tv did.

The eoc in palm beach stationed at the fallout shelter - a large school building with many people under shelter - lost their generators...so quick problems for a couple dialysis patients there....and then the toilets backed up with so many people there....the toilet scenario was interesting as the mob panicked, were yelling about no bathrooms....and a calm guy gave instructions to the EOC guy on site to get a flashlight, and start people in the far end of the building, corner of a room to just use the floors and work their way out...the lay person said on the radio you are kidding right....the calm experienced guy said no, thats SOP for a situation like this...

but also they lost their ability to see where the storm was...so they put a call out for someone/anyone to report the eye wall locations of the storm - east, west, north and south - every 15 minutes so they could prepare when they could address the generator situation...so for the next 2-3 hours I jumped in and gave the reports to the EOC's....

Anyone who has ever boated, or been in a hurricane, or earthquake...knows sometimes things go south real fast, and when they do, many of the systems you felt were good and secure and reliable, fail.....backup and contingency planning and not getting caught up in the failures is critical...
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W9FIB

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2020, 03:36:23 AM »

You never know when all will fail...

Anyone who has ever boated, or been in a hurricane, or earthquake...knows sometimes things go south real fast, and when they do, many of the systems you felt were good and secure and reliable, fail.....backup and contingency planning and not getting caught up in the failures is critical...

And when HR fails, then what? HR can "go south" just as fast as any other service.

Back ups and planning is the name of the game. It's not like the old days when a mobile back up was a truck load of tubes and boxes that needed an engineer to get running.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

W1JPP

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2020, 06:30:55 AM »

I think the one time I felt "lost" and not prepared was last jan 3, 2020. My wife, brother, his wife and kids were on our way to ft myers airport on i75 in the morning. Two cars collided in front of our taxi van, and one flipped into the canal...we pulled over and my brother and I jumped out and ran back to the accident...car under water, upside down, water up to the wheels...we jumped in, got a door open on the passenger side, pitch black water, muck everywhere....since I was a kid I've always carried a pocket knife...but we were flying so I packed in it my suitcase...there were two people in the car, the first guy, driver, had no belt on, so we pulled him out...passenger had a belt, couldn't undo it underwater...I needed to cut the seat belt and did not have my knife, it was a horrible feeling....fortunately other cars stopped and people were up on the side...my brother was yelling for a knife and some guy appeared with one and gave it to my brother...

so we got both out, others help carry them out of the water....they were all cut up, but ok, and we got cut up from the glass....we walked up the embankment, got in the van, got to the airport, and changed into dry clothes in the van...the only dry clothes we had were shorts and tshirts...and we were flying into RI...oh well...never knew who the two guys were, and they never knew us....

all that to say, follow the boy scout motto and be prepared...and don't pack your knife till you have to..
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KG7LEA

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2020, 06:29:19 AM »

In the Pacific Northwest we are now getting mixed signals about the ARC communications strategy. Apparently there is no change in national communications strategy. The messages are confusing (considering these are communicators).
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K6CPO

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Re: American Red Cross
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2020, 12:30:04 PM »

I note that the American Red Cross will no longer include Amateur Radio will no longer be part of the national communications strategy.

Does anyone have insight into this? The Force of Fifty?

If this is the case, then why is there a big exercise taking place this weekend with cooperation between ARC and ARES (and other groups?) The first line in the drill instructions reads: "This drill is an exercise in sending messages from local sites to a group of Divisional Clearing Houses to simulate and demonstrate the capability of amateur radio operators across the country to relay information in times of need."

It seems to me that the ARC is very quite interested in including ham radio in their operations.
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