The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast April 10, 1991

     On March 10, 1991, 59 radio amateurs from Monmouth County provided an emergency communications system at the Sandy Hook Gateway National Park for the Desert Storm Victory Rally.
     Charles Gspann, W2ZEE, the ARRL district Emergency Coordinator and Nick Conigliano, N2FWL, the Monmouth County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services officer jointly planned the communication system.

Charlie Gspann:  "You know Phil, just planning, we were only allowed about two weeks to get this whole thing done and we were told to plan for a possible 25,000 people or more going around the Hook.  Well, that took a lot of doing.  I got to tell you, Nick did an awful lot of work and did an awful lot of the coordinating and the two of us worked together like you wouldn't believe.  It came off like clockwork."

     Volunteer radio amateurs were stationed at three Monmouth County hospitals, others were coordinating bus transportation from parking areas up to ten miles away and two were in aircraft reporting traffic information.
     At Sandy Hook, cross-linking communication was established with police, fire, Coast Guard and emergency services.
Charlie, we know the radio amateurs are part of the ever-changing development in electronics, especially in the development and use of computers, television and satellites to improve local and worldwide communication.  What about the new technologies used at the Desert Storm Victory Rally?  Include some final comments.

     Charlie:  "We had plenty of technology, Phil.  You mentioned technology, we used packet radio, we used amateur TV, we had a man taking shots at the stage and control persons at Comm Center knew immediately what was going on.  We even took shots of the accident that we had there.  We had EMS ready with two helicopters on standby, the Coast Guard was ready to provide service in case there was a jam up at the exit.  To get somebody to a hospital, they could take them right across the water.  We had ARES patient tracking system in place.  There was a digital repeater set up.  We had repeaters and people at an oversight location up on Mount Mitchell.  We were covering all of the parking areas that were being used to take care of any overflow cars.  We were even meeting people at two training stations.  That's the extent of this coverage."
     "Phil, let me tell you, people who would like to enter amateur radio have no fear of being limited or inhibited by modern technology.  They can go as far as they want.  They can just become two-meter operators if they'd like.  Everything helps and they are all welcome."

April 10, 1991

** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

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