[CQ-Contest] Info Should You Handle Health-and-Welfare Traffic from Haiti

[Ward Silver]

While it doesn't seem like there is much traffic coming out of Haiti on the ham bands, that could change at any time due to the arrival of relief teams or other unforseeable circumstances.  This information from a recent WRRL bulletin by K6SOJ may be helpful:

Normal protocol for major disasters is NO INBOUND "Health and Welfare" (W) or Routine (R) traffic for a minimum of 72 hours. [This is just past - N0AX.]  There are only 143 (est.) licensed amateurs in Haiti. Only one or two stations are known to be QRV.   It will probably be much longer before any inbound DWIs (Disaster Welfare Inquiries) can be handled or processed.  Even if and when W or R  traffic addressed to Haiti can be accepted, it may be many weeks before relief agencies have information or means to contact survivors and reply.

RECOMMEND:  EMCOMM traffic stations may accept message traffic...but please advise the originating person/party that it will be held until a means to forward/deliver it can be established.  (After Hurricane Katrina there were thousands of [inbound] DWIs that were never processed.)

SUGGEST:  EMCOMM operators advise persons with [inbound] DWIs to contact U.S. Dept. of State, the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army (they all have Web sites for this purpose) and follow the instructions provided.

Remember to keep the emcomm frequencies clear during this weekend's contests, particularly the NAQP SSB that will put a lot of signals on the low bands.  Even if YOU don't hear anything, that doesn't mean that there isn't some local communications there that would hear your signals.

3977, 3985, 7265, 7290, 14265, and 14300 kHz

73, Ward N0AX