Amateur Radio Volunteers, Industry Responding to Help in Gulf Coast (Sep 6, 2005) -- More than 800 Amateur Radio operators from all over the US have signed up to aid the Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery effort now under way along the US Gulf Coast. At this point, an estimated 200 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers en route, on site where they're needed or in the pipeline for processing and deployment. In addition, Amateur Radio manufacturers have been stepping up to donate radio equipment for use in the field. Icom already has committed to providing 250 handheld VHF transceivers and 35 HF transceivers for emergency use, while Heil Sound Ltd has offered to provide headsets for the units. Other manufacturers and suppliers also have pledged to donate antennas, accessories and hardware. The American Red Cross asked ARRL September 2 to issue a call for qualified Amateur Radio volunteers to help out at more than 250 shelter and feeding station locations, and the amateur community responded in force.
