City Ham operator in New York rescue work

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 21. The only Indian HAM who is among the volunteers helping the U.S. Red Cross Relief Operation at the World Trade Center site in New York is Mr. B.S.Suresh, a software engineer from the City, with the callsign ``VU2COT''.

The Red Cross has opened some shelters where many injured persons are being treated, Mr. Suresh said in a communication to the Indian Institute of Hams here.

Ham radio operators have set up a communication network among different shelters and the headquarters, which coordinates relief supplies to the affected areas.

Of the 50 Ham operators working in New York, Mr. Suresh is the only Indian, two are from Canada and the rest are Americans. They are operating on VHF frequencies with powerful repeaters. The U.S. Red Cross gave Mr. Suresh an orientation course to prepare him for the atcual field work he was responsible for along with other Hams who had volunteered. He said he was now working during evenings and the whole night and was staying at the Red Cross Headquarters coordinating the relief supply to different shelters spread around New York. Volunteers were expected to be at the spot for at least 12 hours and sometimes the work streched to 16 or 18 hours.

Mr. Suresh said he was reporting to the local Ham coordinator chief, Mr. Bart Lee (callsign KV6LEE), and was working from one of the main command centres from where most of the search and rescue operations were coordinated. The Mayor of New York had expressed his appreciation for his work as the only Indian on the rescue and relief team. ``It is a voluntary service we Hams are doing and I am happy to be part of the volunteers working at the WTC crash site,'' Mr. Suresh said in a message.

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