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ARESCO After-Action Report: World Trade Center Disaster

by Ben Baker, KBØUBZ, District 22, Arapahoe County, 16-Sep-2001
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  1. Date of activity
    • 11-Sep-2001 thru 16-Sep-2001

  2. Description of activity
    • World Trade Center Disaster

  3. Duration of activity
    • 6 days

  4. Serving amateur radio groups participating
    • Arapahoe County ARES, Red Cross Communicators

  5. Served agencies participating
    • Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross

  6. Describe served agency participation
    • Mutual aid requested to provide communications between shelters and DIA to transport stranded passengers to and from the airport until the airport opened.

  7. Number of amateurs participating
    • 15

  8. List of amateurs participating
    • KAØDPC Sparky
    • KF6UT Mark
    • KCØHKB Jean
    • KBØHBO Greg
    • KCØCCH David
    • NØJJH JJ
    • KØCO Jack
    • WB5YOE Richard
    • KBØlYOZ Chris
    • KBØYLN Ken
    • KIØEP Alan
    • KØYUK Merle
    • KCØDYN Geralyn
    • KCØHUY Rick
    • KD5JOS Everett
    • KBØUBZ Ben

  9. Person-hours of amateur service
    • 112, most of which occurred between September 14 and Septenber 16

  10. Describe goals of activity, both for served agency and serving group
    • Provide communications between two Red Cross shelters, Red Cross chapter headquarters, and transportation vans to and from DIA

  11. Did the event fulfill the goals?
    • Yes.

    • Explain:

      Good communications was maintained between all shelters, vans and headquarters.

  12. What went well
    • Arapahoe County ARES members were professional in their response.
    • Email Notification of ARES activation well received.

  13. Areas needing improvement
    • Separate radio room at Red Cross headquarters. This meant that the operator had to leave his/her position to deliver a message, leaving the radio uncovered as only one person was assigned to that position.
    • Communications of assignments between shifts: Messages between shifts need improvement. Net control failed to pass the message of an assignment. An ARES member was subsequently sent home, saying he was not needed even though was assigned for that shift.
    • Oncoming ARES members need to know what equipment is at the site to be manned.
    • Net control at headquarters was overloaded.
    • Personnel were poorly utilized. It seemed that only one person did all of the scheduling of shift assignments. Net control must know who is scheduled for shifts to answer questions.
    • Radio operators at the shelters were inconsistent in monitoring the net frequency, causing delays and missed messages.
    • Resource/Logistics net would help alleviate traffic on Operations frequency.
    • A computer or at least a whiteboard would have helped track the assignments.
    • A listing of gas stations open at night at Net Control would have helped when the transportation vans were operating at night.
    • Members were not asked to provide or show identification, either Red Cross, ARES or even a driver's license. One member used a spare Red Cross vest they found at a shelter.
    • Members need to be prepared for any situation. Several members brought more than they thought were needed. Turns out that the extra equipment was needed later.
    • Communications Room at headquarters did not have a clock.
    • Traffic was not logged either at headquarters or shelters.

  14. Lessons learned
    • Use of the Incident Command System would have helped eliminate some of these problems. When multiple districts are involved, use Unified Command.
    • Use of ICS forms would help with tracking personnel, logging traffic and messages.
    • Two persons are needed at Net Control. This is for relief as well as running messages and errands.
    • One person cannot run the incident for the entire length of the incident, especially one that spans multiple days. That person will easily get burned out.
    • All members need current identification cards with their pictures on them. These ID cards need to be worn at all times during the incident.
    • Packet would have also worked well in this situation. Hard copies of messages would be produced and archived.

  15. Additional training needed
    • Contents and use of a "Go" kit.
    • Additional classes are needed to certify more members as Red Cross Communicators.
    • Joint training with Mile High Chapter Red Cross Communicators.

  16. General comments
    • This was the first time that Arapahoe County ARES participated with the Red Cross on such a large scale. Although for the most part, the joint callout went well, more joint exercises would be helpful.
    • This event also showed that more ARES members are needed to be trained as Red Cross Communicators. Unless there is a national disaster declared, only Red Cross communicators can support the Red Cross. At present, only about 50% of Arapahoe County ARES are trained as Red Cross communicators.
    • A large number of cell phones were used or available for this incident for use by Red Cross personnel. Red Cross Communicators from the Mile High Chapter were asked to keep track of these cell phones and whom they were assigned to.

  17. Ideas for future exercises
    • Joint training with Red Cross Communicators from the Mile High Chapter.
    • Telephone call outs - Exercise to allow members to prepare for unexpected situations.

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