Members
of NYC-ARECS have the experience and expertise to
provide a valuable public service to agencies and
organizations in New York City. The organization's
members are local community citizens, professionals,
that understand civic responsibility and possess an
abundance of civic pride. The organization's leaders,
and their approach to emergency communications, is one
that has been developed and molded specifically for
NYC, and is not beholden to an outside organization.
This was first recognized by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
through a Mayoral Proclamation in 1997, and
presented by Jerome M. Hauer, the first Director of
OEM (recently the NY State Commissioner of the
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services).
"Our city's vast and complex
communications system, is indebted to the many
trained amateur radio volunteers,
who are efficient and dependable and lend a much
needed hand in times of crisis or disaster.
They are an invaluable part of our city's
communication network."
--NYC Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani, September 20, 1997
NYC-ARECS
members have intimately been involved with
communications in NYC, including 20 years of training
for emergencies specific to NYC. This also includes
past situations such as TWA 800, Y2K, the attacks of
September 11, 2001, the Staten Island Barge explosion,
the NYC blackout, several major floods and hurricanes
(like Hurricane Sandy), as well as other
operations.[1] The following represent common
activation scenarios:
During a potential hurricane or
other major weather event:
Once
the National Weather Service issues a Public Advisory
of a Hurricane Warning for the New York City metro
area, NYC-ARECS would:
- Officially
check-in with the National Hurricane Center's net
via High Frequency (HF) radio; this frequency would
be monitored and information specific to NYC would
be gathered in real-time.
- Activate
the NY NBEMS/USeast NBEMS High Frequency (HF)
[non-voice] digital net and monitor it for any
digital HF messages into and out of the NYC area.
- Initiate
a Logistics Net on one of nine NYC UHF/VHF
repeaters; this net would serve as a Central
Coordinating Point for radio operators from NYC and
the surrounding areas that wanted to check-in,
provide reports from the ground, and/or
monitor/receive more information on the developing
situation. This Logistics Net would collect weather
data 'surface reports' from the Hurricane affected
areas in real time by 'eyes on the ground' for use
by the Hurricane Forecasters.
After a catastrophic terrorist or
disastrous technological event:
After
learning that a catastrophic event has taken place,
such as what New York City experienced on September
11, 2001, NYC-ARECS would:
- Initiate
a city-wide UHF/VHF Logistics Net for the purposes
of information gathering. This would be used to
transfer and share information from across the Five
Boroughs and the surrounding counties (Bergen,
Hudson, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau, etc.).
- Share
vetted information and news as needed, to our
members and colleagues that are active participants
in several various NYC organizations, including the
Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), a US
Department of Defense communications program; the
American Red Cross; the Community Emergency Response
Teams (CERT); the US Coast Guard Auxiliary; and the
USeast-NBEMS HF digital net.[2]
- Be
available to provide auxiliary communications
assistance to requesting agencies.
Radio operator central
coordination after a New York City or regional
disaster:
In
the event of a major disaster of the scale in which
outside resources would typically make themselves
available, such as what occurred after the attack of
September 11, 2001, NYC-ARECS would log and keep in
contact with any radio operators from out of town
that were offering their services. NYC-ARECS would
serve as a clearing house for radio operators who
were willing to be tasked with assignments by
agencies as needed. [3]
Global Mutual Assistance Network:
Whether
it be an earthquake, hurricane or other event which
disrupts normal modes of communication, NYC-ARECS
can utilize its communications' global reach (via HF
radio - both with digital messaging and voice modes)
to support other groups by our very nature of being
out of the area. New York City has a highly diverse
population, made up of numerous peoples of varying
ethnic backgrounds-people who may have friends and
relatives in a potentially affected area. Because of
this, the need for health and welfare traffic and
multi-language translated messaging will be in need,
this is something NYC-ARECS can assist with.
[1] Besides emergency traffic, duties radio
operators have had included shadowing New York City
officials, medical officials, handling medical
traffic, operating with FDNY crews on fire engines,
and coordinating communications for agencies such as
the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
[2] This would enhance and promote the
accuracy of local forecasts; the net would become a
transfer hub for storm information (such as Hurricane
Advisories); This will subsequently be shared over
Amateur Radio, when other sources are not available to
the affected area.
[3] This was a valuable service NYC-ARECS
members conducted following the attacks of September
11, 2001.
Please
direct any questions to INFO@nyc-arecs.org
or in an emergency call 917-991-0356
