International Amateur Radio Union Region 3
	IARU	IARU Region 1	IARU Region 2
Last Updated: January 17, 2010

Earthquake, Haiti; January 2010

From: Jim Linton, VK3PC Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 4:28 PM Subject: Ham team pulls out of Haiti Radio amateurs from the Dominican Republic have installed an amateur voice repeater link between their country and earthquake hit Haiti, but their plan to do much more in terms of emergency communications had to be cut short due to civil unrest. The repeater is providing the only communications for the Red Cross and Civil Defence. Ramon Santoyo XE1KK, Secretary IARU Region 2 advises that the HI8RCD (Radio Club Dominicano) team of eight radio amateurs had to flee the area after gunfire and were unable to stay and provide operators to activate a ham radio station Haiti. He said that this turn of events became known during a long telephone conservation with Hugo Ramon HI8VR, President of Radio Club Dominicano (RCD) described the situation as extremely unsafe and scray. The HI8RCD team was embedded in a convoy when shots rang out resulting in several people being injured and one reported dead. The radio amateurs was not injured but decided to leave unescorted to reach safety at Jimanji in the Dominican Republic. Media reports indicate that the situation four days after the massive earthquake that has killed some 50,000 and caused widespread damage, is now chaotic as desperate people seek to secure their own survival. Earlier Reverend John Henault HH6JH was able to make a couple of phone-patch calls on the 20m band Fred Moore W3ZU during which he described how there had been 30 after-shocks following the earthquake. John HH6JH in Port-au-Prince is doing missionary work with homeless children said, "It's bad, it literally is bad. We don't know how many people are dead. We do not know what to expect. It's chaos, I'm telling you, it's real chaos." Admitting he was concerned as after-shocks continues, he said "Many, many buildings in the downtown area are stripped from the ground with many people buried underneath them. "I'm okay, my house is okay," said John HH6JH, adding "We have had 30 aftershocks. We are expecting some more shocks, so I'm a bit nervous to be inside the house." He was using power from a neighbour's generator and very pleased that amateur radio enabled him to let his friends in the USA know he was alive. Another radio amateur in the country, Pierre Petry HH2/HB9AMO who works for the UN food program is also safe. However nothing is known at this stage of about another ten hams in Haiti. - IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Chairman, Jim Linton VK3PC.

From: Jim Linton, VK3PC Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 3:01 PM Subject: RCD and URDA en route to Haiti RCD and URDA en route to Haiti Victor Baez, HI8VB, Secretary of the Radio Club Dominicano (RCD) reports that the RCD with UDRA, Union Dominicana de Radio Aficionados, are preparing to go to Port au Prince early morning of Friday January 15 to install an emergency radio Communications stastion, HI8RCD/HH, and a mobile station. - IARU R3 Chairman of the Disaster Communications Committee, Jim Linton VK3PC.

From: Jim Linton, VK3PC Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:02 AM Subject: Rev John Henault HH6JH reports from earthquake hit Haiti One ham in Haiti makes contact with outside world Reverend John Henault HH6JH amid the earthquake devastated Haiti has been on the 20m band IARU Centre of Activity frequency for emergency communications 14.300 MHz. While not in the worst hit area around the capital of Port-Au-Prince he reported that he and those with him are safe. Operating via battery power Rev John Henault HH6JH was hopeful of getting a generator operating. In contact with William Sturridge KI4MMZ in Florida he was able to pass a message to his relatives and his religious mission that he was okay. A listening watch is being maintained for two emergency stations in Port-Au-Prince that have not been activated. It is also known, that in addition to 14.300, the Salvation Army Team Emergency Net is 14.265 is in use. An IARU request remains current to keep 7.045 and 3.720 clear. Authorities predict that the worst earthquake in 200 years to hit Haiti could result in a death roll of 100,000. Haiti was only just beginning to show signs of recovery from a series of hurricanes in 2008 that killed hundreds and left up to a million homeless. Rev John Henault OMI, is from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and works in Haiti helping to provide care for homeless and orphaned children. - IARU R3 Chairman of the Disaster Communications Committee, Jim Linton VK3PC.

From: Jim Linton, VK3PC Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 9:12 PM Subject: Haiti earthquake - listening watch 80m and 40m Massive earthquake hits Haiti Following the devastation to Haiti caused by an earthquake, nothing has been heard from radio amateurs in that Caribbean nation. The IARU has initiated a listening watch for them on 7045kKz and 3720kHz, and ask that those frequencies be keep clear. The earthquake measuring 7 on the Ritcher scale hit the area 15km southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, destroying homes and public buildings, and virtually all communications have been cut. Hundreds of people have been killed or injured as emergency crews and medical aid is being provded. The IARU Region 2 Area Emergency Communications Coordinator, Arnie Coro CO2KK advises that while no signals have been heard a listening watch is being maintained on in case any manage to get on air. While radio amateurs in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela are also monitoring 7045 kHz for any contact with Haiti. Eastern cities in Cuba also felt the quake and the Cuban Federation of Radio Amateurs Emergency Net was activated, operating on 40m, 80m and 2m bands. - IARU R3 Chairman of the Disaster Communications Committee, Jim Linton VK3PC.