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REACT Team Support as of September 22, 2001
Report filed by Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council...
2 Teams from New Jersey (will get team names/numbers asap) have arrived
for the weekend to assist, help that is greatly appreciated. More responses have been coming in from ARRL's announcement
on Thursday, plus from the listing at www.volunteermatch.org. All help is appreciated!
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REACT Team Support as of September 21, 2001
Report filed by Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council...
We have received some calls from teams who want to come and help. At this
time a team from the Missouri State Council is on its way to NYC to assist.
Because of the troubles with the internet, we have had some problems over
the last two days, but we are still busy in Manhattan and continue to provide the services I described 2 days ago.
The Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Guiliani, told the press yesterday that this operation is expected to go on
for at least six more months.
We are not sure what our involvement will be, at this time, in the long
term, but are definitely needed for at least 1 more month. This is without a doubt the biggest and longest REACT
operation ever, and we are going to need help.
If there is a team out there that would like to make a donation to the NYS
REACT Council, we could use some GMRS radios, chargers and batteries. We presently have Motorola HT-600's donated
by a local dealer but could use more! Please contact us before you send anything so we can make sure we can use
it. THANKS
 The
ARRL Letter, Vol 20, No 38... Today, our friends at ARRL included a paragraph in their electronic newsletter mentioning
our need for manpower. Several inquiries have already been received with offers to help, from as far away as Ohio.
The article was as follows:
"In the meantime, REACT International is seeking additional Amateur
Radio and licensed GMRS users, primarily to support the Salvation Army's relief efforts in New York. "We still
need volunteers," said REACT International Secretary Lee Besing, N5NTG, who added that some shifts on Wednesday
went unfilled. "They're burning out and having to return to their jobs," he said. REACT is now running
20 volunteers per shift. Volunteers should visit the REACT International Web site, <http://www.reactintl.org/tragedy_09112001.htm>
or contact Charles Bessels, <NYCHelp@reactintl.org>."
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REACT Team Support as of September 20, 2001
Report filed by Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council...
Help continues to be needed for all shifts as local members are being forced
to return to their normal jobs to support their families. Contact the Southern NY Council using the information
provided at the top of the web page.
 We have now registered REACT International with Volunteer Match Organization, www.volunteermatch.org, to
solicit volunteers to help REACT with manpower in the NYC area.
We received one volunteer offer from a NYC local the first day it was posted.
Zip Code is 10003 for searches, listed under Emergency and Safety,
Crisis Support, and
Community categories. All inquiries are being sent to NYCHelp@reactintl.org,
which is forwarded directly to the Southern New York REACT Council for coordination.
Problems with the web server since the Nimda attack on Tuesday have been
resolved and the website should be fully visible to all visitors at this time, along with all mail being handled
by the REACT International Server. New firewall software has been installed to prevent further excursions into
our web servers.
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REACT Team Support as of September 19, 2001
Report filed by Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council...
Help continues to be needed for all shifts as local members are being forced
to return to their normal jobs to support their families. Contact the Southern NY Council using the information
provided at the top of the web page.
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REACT Team Support as of September 18, 2001
Report filed by Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council, as of 2230 hours (EST) on September 18th...
As of 2230 hrs today (Tuesday) REACT teams continue to assist the Salvation Army in Manhattan. REACT units are making "rounds" to the different
canteens around "ground zero" and at other positions like the Medical Examiner's office, the Jacob Javits
Convention Center where they are doing volunteer registration etc, and to the Armory on Lexington Ave when the
families of victims are meeting with officials to give DNA samples and provide additional information. Our units
make sure that the canteens have all the supplies, fuel and personel that they need as well as making emergency
deliveries of things like Ice, additional lighting etc.
Warren Deitz, the Southern NY REACT Council President and I are now making
an additional request for REACT units. We need assistance from any units that are
able to come to NYC to help us with our operations.
Once again, this is expected to be an extended operation that officials
are now projecting to last for up to two months or more. The local teams and the few who have travelled simply
can not continue to provide the coverage that is needed. We do have sleeping and showering facilities and food
is available all the time.
If you are available, please contact a team officer and have them contact
either Warren Deitz or myself at the numbers provided on the web page. If you know of a member or a team that does
not have internet access or may not be aware of our operation, please give them a call and fill them in.
Thanks
Charles Bessels
Vice President, Southen NY REACT Council
President, Westchester REACT #2240
Reports from Charles Bessels, VP of Southern NY REACT Council, as of 0700hrs on September
18th, 2001...
The REACT support operation continues and is anticipated to continue through next weekend.
As of this time, there have been a total of 28 REACT members working in support of the Salvation Army operation.
We are still short of manpower during business hours, and would appreciate any help that can be provided. Please remember to contact
your team officers and have them contact either myself or Warren Deitz at the numbers provided on the web page.
Any units that are coming to help, PLEASE understand, this is a very fluid operation with ever changing assignments etc. We need all REACT units to cooperate with us as
we work out the "kinks" with respect to parking, and accommodations.
Additionally, I feel some clarification is necessary with respect to
the report filed by Emergency Medical REACT
yesterday. That team is a Certified First Responder agency here in New
York State. The present operation is NOT
a dangerous one (unless you consider NYC traffic dangerous!) and no
members are actually at "ground zero" although some of the
canteens we support are in the vicinity.
We all wish the best for those units from EMR that were injured and know that the rest of the REACT community does also. They went "above and
beyond" on this one.
Charles Bessels
Vice President, Southen NY REACT Council
President, Westchester REACT #2240
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REACT Team Support as of September 17, 2001
Report from Carlos Varon, President of Emergency Medical REACT, a local team on the scene
in NYC.
A hearty thanks and a pat on the
back to those teams who have come down and still coming down to assist.
I do not have the names of the team who were and are in attendance but
I am sure can be provided to you at a later date and a hearty thank-you
can be expressed at that time.
Our present concern is coordinating the teams and having too many bodies reporting. Jeff Schneller: He is an EMR
member but is also the SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network) Liason officer who had made the original
request on behalf of the Salvation Army and had been the conduit for the REACT teams / members. I know several
of you have also been in contact with him as to getting status reports and the everchanging needs of the SA. While
I am not speaking on behalf of Jeff, he has expressed a concern of coverage during the normal working hours and
if there was enough work to be done to keep many members occupied.
All that I ask is that before you send your respective members down to check with either Warren or Jeff for an
update on needs and coverage.
I want to thank those members who expressed their well wishes and concerns and your support. I hope to meet you
all in the weeks / months ahead.
Be well and stay safe
Carlos Varon, EMT-D, K2LCV
President/Captain
Emergency Medical R.E.A.C.T. of NYC Team #4942
Flushing, NY
http://www.emrnyc.org
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REACT Team Support as of September 16, 2001
No major changes reported this date. Support operations continued
in both the NYC and DC areas by REACT Teams as previously reported.
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