Accessed on 16 August 2018 0358 UTC, Post #656.
Source:
Email from Ceridwen Sanders (AH6CS) and Richard Bowen (AH6RK).
Comment:
Here’s updated information on Oscar Resto’s (KP4RF) presentation on Hurricane Maria set for Wednesday, 29 August, 6:30 p.m. (HST) at the North Hawaii Community Hospital Conference room in Waimea. Please RSVP to Norm (nh7ua@arrl.net) because there is limited seating for this free community meeting.
The event is free but hospital seating is limited RSVP to Norm nh7ua@arrl.net
Hurricane Maria Response in Puerto Rico
The presentation discusses the impact hurricane Maria had on Puerto Rico’s population. It affected water and electricity services and caused massive commercial communication interruptions to all government and business infrastructures. This first-hand report conveys the enormous issues faced by first responders in a catastrophe of this scale. Problems faced by an island community like Puerto Rico can give insight into issues that may someday have to be faced in Hawaii.
This event affected the living conditions of 3.2 million U.S. citizens while still recovering and reconstructing. The events and the critical decisions made, helped us learn how vulnerable we are to natural disasters.
Amateur Radio operators learned how to use their knowledge of radio technology and resources efficiently to re-establish critical infrastructures. In this scale of emergencies where government repeater networks were destroyed, in addition to volunteering for long hours operating stations, Amateurs were called on to use their technical skills to create communication solutions.
This presentation followed by a Q&A session will give the audience an opportunity to learn how to better prepare for these types of natural events.
Biography
Oscar Resto, KP4RF
Puerto Rico ARRL Section Manager HC 77 Box 8743
Vega Alta PR 00692 kp4rf@live.com
787-345-6088
July 12, 2018
Oscar was born in San Juan Puerto Rico. He isa physicist with more than 35 years’
experience on experimental physics from vacuum deposition systems and surface science
spectroscopy to the innovative Ultra High Transmission Electron Microscopy capable of
observing single atoms.
He is a Principal Investigator of the NASA UPR RockSat-X program with twelve
successful flights to space where micrometeorites were collected in meteor trails to gather
organic molecules for DNA, RNA, and Nucleic Acids sequencing.
As an FCC Amateur Extra Class ham radio operator for 30 years, he has interest in
contacting foreign stations on HF radio (DXing), competing in radio contests and with
experimental radio technology development.
A major radio interest in which he specializes is EMCOMM (Emergency Communication).
As the ARRL Section Manager for Puerto Rico he has long experience with training and
coordinating hams who volunteer to support their communities when normal means of
communications for infrastructure critical organizations is lost. His group of Amateurs was
called on to provide emergency communications for relief operation in response to the
2017 Hurricane Maria. During this major catastrophe, his group handled emergency
information and communication with the Puerto Rico American Red Cross, FEMA and the
Department of Homeland Security. Amateur radio proved to be the only communication
system available during the first few weeks of recovery from the hurricane. The technical
skills of his group of amateurs in building and deploying stations where they were needed,
was critical is supporting communities throughout the Commonwealth.
Questions?Contact Ceri Sanders, info belowCeridwen Sanders AH6CSRichard Bowen AH6RKPO Box 138