IRESC (International Radio Emergency Support Coalition)
Global ALE High Frequency Network
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Amateur (Ham) Radio Emergency Preparedness
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2013| (April 2013)
Earthquake in South
West China: Radio (Hams) Amateurs to the rescue!! |
(Info via WIANEWS 28 April 2013 Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman of the IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee with Fin Ban BA1RB, and Rudy Wong VR2USP) Saturday April 20 a major earthquake hit China's southwest rural area of Ya'an, which has now left 200 dead, injured about 12,000 and many more people homeless. Fan Bin BA 1 RB reported that amateur radio operators swung into action to provide emergency communications and coordinate parts of the disaster response. With toppled houses everywhere, rescuers frantically began their search of the rubble for survivors, while medical staff treated those hurt on the ground and in make-shift hospitals. Panic was evident with survivors sheltering in cars and tents. Badly hit Lushan County is now like a large refugee camp with volunteers providing meals. Fan Bin BA 1 RB has recently reported that public communication was back to normal in the disaster area and the local repeater systems continued to work. He said the Chinese Radio Sports Association, also known as the Chinese Radio Amateur Club, no longer required emergency communication frequencies. It expressed thanks for the support from IARU member societies and others. A role for some radio hams was maintaining traffic control, with emergency supplies arriving including tents, water, food and medicine. Rain hampered search and rescue efforts in the quake zone, and added to fallen trees and landslides making progress slower in some areas. After-shocks also occurred. The Sichuan provincial government reported that 3,000 kilometres of road and 327 bridges had been damaged. The total repair bill from the earthquake was put at $3 billion. The central government of China, local officials, rescuers, relief workers and radio amateurs are much better prepared to deal with disasters, than has been the case in the past. Neighbouring Russia sent rescue teams, and the Red Cross from Hong Kong with an embedded radio amateur, are helping the on-going effort. |
| (December 2012) Hams ready for double disaster in the Philippines!! |
(Info via WIANEWS 16 December 2012 and Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee Typhoon Bopha that killed at least 700 people in southern Philippines, leaving a trail of mayhem behind, re-emerged out of the South China Sea last week to hit the northern part of the archipelago. The Philippines's strongest typhoon first reached landfall on the island of Mindanao with 210km'/h winds on December the 4th, and returned to Luzon in the north last weekend. Active during both disasters were the ham radio networks, organised through the national IARU society, the Philippines Amateur Radio Association (PARA). Those nets handled emergency and welfare traffic, gave weather reports, detailed utility and infrastructure outages. The typhoon just missed nearby Guam and was headed for the southern island of Mindanao. At the time PARA had its 80th birthday celebrations in Manila. Soon after it asked that the emergency nets activate on VHF, for long haul traffic 7095 kHz and echo-link. What unfolded was an outstanding effort that included evacuations of riverside and low-lying communities and coordination of rescues including those at sea. The networks played an important coordination role in the south with the Disaster Response Team of the Philippine Red Cross, Delta Fire Volunteers, and the Coastguard. Among the action was DX5RAN, the District 5 Radio Amateur Network. That net worked with the City Government of Tacloban and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council. There were many radio amateurs involved. As the toll rose and losses, including export banana plantations on Mindanao mounted, the typhoon returned to northern Luzon. Although downgraded it dumped heavy rain causing flooding and landslides. Early evacuations in both the south and the north were attributed by the authorities as saving many lives. Many are still missing in southern areas and fishermen at sea. More than 5.4 million people were affected including 116,400 in evacuation centres. The Vice Chief Operating Officer of PARA, Ramon J. Anquilan DU1UGZ, said both nets were now closed. He thanked everyone for coordinating the activities and the worldwide assistance in keeping the HF emergency frequency clear. |
| (August 2012) Disaster hits Manila and the Philippines!! Radio (Amateurs) hams help! |
(Info via WIANEWS 19 August 2012 and Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee and Eddie Valdez DU1EV, Chief Operating Officer of PARA) The Philippine Amateur Radio Association activated the Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) with it passing essential traffic during the recent widespread flooding which saw 80 per cent of Manila under water. Claiming 66 lives earlier this month, it was triggered by monsoon rains on the main island of Luzon. The downpour peaked with a 48-hour deluge that battered Manila and surrounding regions. Eddie Valdez DU1EV, Chief Operating Officer of PARA said that HERO was on air from Monday night the 6th through to Tuesday August the 7th. It included one of the ham emergency radio operators who found himself affected by the flood waters and fleeing his home after two days of operations. Eddie DU1EV said the rain stopped the floods receded, with garbage littering the roads, parks and drains in Manila and surrounding provinces. A big clean-up is under way. In the worst affected areas like Marikina City, the Metro Manila Development Authority would need a month to clean and clear the drainage canals. |
| (November 2011) Thailand Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators respond to floods |
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via
WIANEWS 13 November 2011
and Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU R3 Disaster
Communications Committee / RAST
Saving almost 1,000 lives |
| October 2011) Turkey Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators respond to Earthquake. | |
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via WIANEWS 30
October 2011.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Van region of Eastern Turkey causing great loss of life and hundreds of casualties. |
| (October 2011) Thailand Amateur (Ham) Radio
Operators respond to floods |
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via WIANEWS 23 October
2011 from Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3
Disaster Communications Committee, via Ken Yamamoto
JA1CJP, Secretary, IARU Region 3.
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| (June 2011) Ham Radio Responds to Tornadoes in the United States of America |
| via WIA National News Service June 2011 from original source Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, reporting for the Amateur Radio network Ham radio operators are a part of severe weather spotting as well as being involved in relief efforts as tornadoes continue to ravage the South. We have the latest in this report: Actually, four days after the severe weather struck, very little is known about the role being played by radio amateurs in the South, especially in and around Joplin, Missouri. That’s because they are far too busy saving lives and reporting damage to stop to make reports to the press. We do know come from published news reports that quote Ron Kittleman, K0ADI. He says that hams have been stationed at the Springfield Missouri office of the National Weather Service. Also, that amateurs from ARES have been providing communication between hospitals and assessment teams following the tornado that hit Joplin at approximately 6pm local time on Sunday, 22nd of May. According to Kittleman, the storm knocked out mobilel phone and landline communications across the area. Radio operators from ARES started relaying medical information between the Freeman Hospital and the St John’s and Cox Health medical facilities in Springfield shortly after the storm hit. Another report says that a Kansas and Western Missouri SATERN Teams from the Salvation Army has been activated for the Joplin tornado response. As we go to air, SATERN team members are reportedly assisting with communications in the affected area. Also, a Salvation Army emergency disaster services team based out Pittsburg, Kansas has been deployed to Joplin. Its job is to help carry out mass feeding for residents and first responders through a mobile feeding kitchen capable of serving thousands of meals a day. |
| (October 2010) Flooding in Thailand |
| Bangkok Post : Amateur radio operators answer call for assistance |
| (August 2010) Flooding in Pakistan |
| Pakistan Amateur Radio Society helps with Floods |
| (March 2010) Chile Earthquake |
| Chile Earthquake (March 2010): Ham (Amateur) Radio operators establish Communications |
| (February 2010) Haiti Earthquake |
| Haiti (January 2010) Earthquake: HF (Shortwave) to the rescue again! |
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(April 2009) Italian Earthquake |
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(October 2009) Philippines Floods |
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(October 2009) Indonesian Earthquake |
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(September 2009) Australian Outback |
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135 Km
East of Birdsville is a long way from anywhere that
a mobile phone will work, so it was lucky that the
driver of the rolled vehicle had plenty of people on
the road that day, even luckier that some of them
were Amateur Radio operators on a DXpedition with
the Blue Mountains Amateur Radio Club. |
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How Amateur Radio is helping Communications in Victoria, Australia due to firestorms! |
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Australian Amateur Radio (Ham) Emergency Network (WICEN) activated because of Firestorms! |
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Call for more Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators re Australian Bushfires! |
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How Amateur Radio saves lives in Chinese Earthquake! |
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Amateur Radio operators (Hams) help out Red Cross following Chinese earthquake |
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How Amateur Radio saves lives in Indonesian Earthquake hit areas!! |
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How Amateur Radio saves lives in Tsunami (2005) hit areas!! |
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Tsunami Catastrophe shows HF Radio beats Sat-phones, Mobile Phones and Broadband!!! |
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