Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: Nextel Gets a Failing Grade

From: dave <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:51:40 -0400

Your paragraph below couldn't make a better case for NOT relying on ANY 
cellular carrier for critical communications.  Nextel or any other cellular 
type commercial grade system should not be marketed as a critical 
communications system for Public Safety use.  None of these have the 
redundancy necessary to support Public Safety.  When we start seeing 
redundant equipment at all sites, including site interconnection, and 
generators capable of lasting through an extended outage at every site, 
then maybe and only maybe ....

to quote another venerable member of this list ... But I may be 
wrong............

dave

>Message: 20
>    Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 07:35:48 -0500
>    From: "meijin" <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: Nextel Gets a Failing Grade
>
><snip>
>The person who made the original post wants a class action law suit to see
>why Nextel lost some service when the power went out? Well...and your point
>is what? As you say, Sprint went down. And Nextel is supposed to do what?
>You think no other service provider was effected? I have a handful of
>stories that talk about every cellular provider having the same thing happen
>to them. It was not a Nextel issue.

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From: "meijin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 12:13:25 -0500

Again, as I already said to Jack...I don't work for marketing and don't
really pay attention to how Nextel is marketed. What I do know is the SLA
requirements for an "strategic" type of customer and we operate within those
requirements...including public safety.

I agree with you to a large extent. No one should have critical services
relying on ONLY a cellular provider. And I don't know of any PS related
organization that does. But I may be wrong...

Michael

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From: "traffic27fl" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:49:54 -0000

--
Wonder if anyone has determined what, if any, role amateur radio 
played in New York, Cleveland, and Detroit during the blackout?

- In [email-masked], dave <rufnredy@a...> wrote:
> >    From: "meijin" <meijin@b...>

---

From: "Harry Ekelund" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 15:22:36 -0700

-----Original Message-----
From: traffic27fl [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: August 18, 2003 10:50 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: Nextel Gets a Failing Grade

 <SNIP> 

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB054

ARLB054 Hams a bright spot during power blackout

ZCZC AG54

QST de W1AW 

ARRL Bulletin 54 ARLB054

From ARRL Headquarters 

Newington CT August 18, 2003

To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB054

ARLB054 Hams a bright spot during power blackout

When a power blackout struck at least a half dozen eastern states

August 14, many Amateur Radio operators were ready and able to

provide whatever assistance they could. Hardest hit were

metropolitan areas like New York City, Detroit and Cleveland. With

cellular systems overloaded or out altogether, the incident turned

into a test of Amateur Radio's capabilities to operate without

commercial power.

New York City-Long Island Section Emergency Coordinator Tom

Carrubba, KA2D, called the response "a good drill," but says it was

a cautionary tale too. "The lesson is that everybody gets a little

complacent," he said. "Have emergency power backup and make sure

it's working!" By and large, Carrubba said, ARES members did what

they were trained to do. "It's going to show the worth of Amateur

Radio," he said of the blackout response. "There were people on the

air immediately."

Diane Ortiz, K2DO, the Public Information Coordinator for NYC-Long

Island was one of them. When power went down in her Suffolk County

community, she started up an informal VHF net. Over the next 20

hours or so, it passed some 500 pieces of traffic. In addition to

handling messages for people stranded in the city, amateurs also

relayed useful information, such as which stores or filling stations

were open and operating. With many radio and TV stations dark, hams

were able to help fill the information void, Ortiz said.

In the Big Apple itself, ARES teams provided communication support

for Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) set up at main

transportation centers in Manhattan. ARES members also accompanied

ERVs on fire calls.

RACES activated in most Greater New York City area counties after a

state of emergency was declared. Some ARES teams--including a few

across the Hudson River in New Jersey--activated or remained on

standby to help if called upon. In New Jersey, a net linked the Red

Cross lead chapter's N2ARC in Princeton with other New Jersey ARC

chapters.

Michigan Section Manager Dale Williams, WA8EFK, relied on his

emergency generator. Some Michigan ARES teams assisted emergency

operations centers and the Red Cross, he said. In Ohio, Section

Emergency Coordinator Larry Rain, WD8IHP, reports that all ARES

organizations in northern Ohio were activated. Still going strong at

week's end were ARES teams in Cleveland and Akron. ARES handled

communication support for Ohio Emergency Management.

Nancy Hall, KC4IYD--who lives west of Cleveland--said she's glad she

took the ARRL Emergency Communications Level I class. "I have to say

that being a ham and knowing about emergency preparedness did make

life easier for me and my family," she said.

NNNN

/EX

  > >to them. It was not a Nextel issue.

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From: "Kenton E. Sturdevant" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 22:55:04 -0000

According to the release from the ARRL:...

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB054

ZCZC AG54
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 54  ARLB054

SB QST ARL ARLB054