I am guessing some of you guys used your on 9/11/01. Any good stories? What about monitoring the scanner traffic?

First thing I did when I got home (I was just getting off work when the first plane collided with the tower) was to check in to my RACES net. Kept the HT on  all day. Nothing came of it.

my 2001 QTH was approximately 10 miles as the crow flies southwest of NYC.   37 people from my town were killed at the WTC site.   many more were injured.

around that area it was IMPOSSIBLE *not* to know someone who either lost a loved one, or was adversely affected in some way.

my sister was working at BONY, and walked out of Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge.
my brother was working at the NYMEX, and got the final ferry out to Jersey City.
my BIL was getting a bagel on the 42nd floor of WTC2 (south tower), vacated early, was in the street below when UAL Flt 117 struck, survived the debris rain in a parking garage, and was 5 blocks away when WTC2 fell.

the repeaters were busy.  cellphone and POTS traffic was through the roof, very few calls went through.  

it should be noted here that the adjoining towns of Belford, Atlantic Highlands, and Highlands are ferry stops from downtown NYC (Wall Street/Pier 17/South Street Seaport).  moreover, Middletown has a park-n-ride commuter system, and a train station as well.  

MANY folks were arriving on ferries from downtown or from Staten Island with minor injuries, and could not and would not be seen by FDNY or NYC hospitals.  and many local EMS units including ambulances and paramedics from Middletown, had been directed into NYC for rescue operations.

MANY folks were arriving on ferries from downtown or from Staten Island who had not taken the ferry in –– they had taken the bus or train.  so they were a couple of miles away from where they needed to be.

so ... the Middletown ARC club RACES repeaters (2m and 70cm) were used through the night to coordinate 3 things, with all activities working in conjunction with OEM and prioritized as follows:
1) arrange for transport of slightly injured to local hospitals.  most presented with asthma due to dust exposure, eye irritation (same), dehydration, fatigue, and in some cases what could only be described as PTSD.  
2) arrange for transport of "displaced" commuters returning on the ferries to their vehicles at the train and bus stations.  in most cases one RACES member would take 2-3 people from the ferry to their vehicle –– or directly home, at their request.
3) carry H&W traffic.  this proved almost impossible for about 87 reasons.

ar-jedi

AR-Jedi so sorry for your towns losses I can only imagine the stress.

Sorry Double Tap

This Link has an interesting perspective from w2ik, who was an AEC on long island on 9/11.
Scroll down 3/4 of the way to the section labeled:"My deployment at ground zero" for his story.   An interesting read.


Note: I have no personal knowledge of w2ik or the accuracy of his page.   I do disagree with some of his notions of training, and experience,
But there is still some good info in there. FWIW.
RB

Thanks for the input. Good to see the service Hams were able to provide.

That is a nice monument and a nice sentiment to mark and remember those lost....  I always prefer to see a listing of the names of those lost.... rather that the politicians, but a nice jestrure non the less...

much more than a "listing" was needed here.  

a park was built... with 37 individual memorials.

clicky ––>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheenachi/sets/72057594114394600/detail/
and
http://www.ahherald.com/middletown/mt_9_11_memorial.htm

it's nicely done, each memorial stone illuminated 24x7 and taken care of by all.  

the stuff left behind by the children kills me every time.  

ar-jedi

That is very well done.... very impressive and moving...