Many Looking for Loved Ones

There is help for families trying to find loved ones in the areas Hurricane Katrina devastated.

With phone lines and most other communication down in badly affected areas, the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) is trying to help hundreds of people who are wondering if family members or friends have survived the storm. SATERN is a HAM radio team that not only helps its onsite volunteers be in touch with the national office, but they also help families find each other when a disaster wipes out all other forms of communication.

Quent Nelson, the health and welfare coordinator for The Salvation Army's SATERN, said he's already received 600 requests to find loved ones after Hurricane Katrina. "We're working just as fast as we can," said Nelson about the onslaught of Katrina assistance requests. "We're calling in more help now."

The website where people request family information is bogged down with all the requests, but that the staff is working quickly to improve the website's capacity.

The request process goes like this. A family member with an inquiry can call or fill out an online request form with SATERN (http://www.satern.org/). That information goes to Nelson in his Atlanta office. He then logs onto his radio-internet computer, called Echolink. Through Echolink, Nelson is able to see which HAM radio operators are online in the areas he needs to contact to find the loved one. Nelson said if he can't find an operator in the needed area, he'll find the next closest area. "I may not be able to find any close operators because of power outages," he said.

But he can at least give the inquirers peace of mind if a Salvation Army shelter is nearby where the loved one might be. "Sometimes that's all I can do until I find someone close by - just tell folks that a shelter is open and people are there caring for the disaster families," said Nelson.

A large number of amateur HAM radio operations assist the Salvation Army as part of SATERN. "We've got about 2,500 volunteers," said Major Pat McPherson, national director of SATERN. "So many people want to help. It's great to see that spirit of altruism and 'can do.'"

There is a link in the 5th paragraph following …form with SATERN.

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