The magnitude 9.0 under ocean megathrust quake that has generated a massive tsunami occurred on Sunday 12-26-2004 at 00:58:53 UTC or at 7:58:53 AM local time at epicenter, and located off west coast of northern Sumatra island, west part of Indonesia. The tsunami caused more than 250.000 death and billion dollars of second casualties in several parts of southern Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives), eastern Africa (including Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania) and several islands at Indian Ocean (including Cocos Islands, Diego Garcia, Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar). It is also reported that the tsunami crossed into the Pacific Ocean. This under ocean megathrust quake is among the five most powerful recorded since 1900 and the biggest since 1964.

Northern Sumatra has experienced the most casualty with at least 150,000 people have died. The most part of Banda Aceh that is the capitol city of Aceh province (155 miles north of the epicenter), Meulaboh city (90 miles north of the epicenter) and several other coastal cities along west coast of northern Sumatra were destroyed. Along east coast of northern Sumatra also experienced some casualties. Lhoknga, a coastal village and tourism center, located about 20 miles south of Banda Aceh was totally washed away. In the contrary, the closest island from the epicenter (about 50 miles away), Simeulue, that has more than 50.000 dwellers only experienced very few casualties. A part of luck was because Simeuleu island consists of several high hills, the tsunami rose steadily and the people had an ancestral experience with the megathrust earthquake and its tsunami in 1907 that killed 1800 dwellers.

In northern Sumatra there are two provinces affected by the tsunami including Aceh province and North Sumatra province. Both Aceh and North Sumatra provinces are under district 6 of the ORARI (Organization of Amateur Radio for Indonesia). The tsunami has damaged all infrastructure including telecommunication, electricity and land transportation at the disaster areas in northern Sumatra. In Aceh province, the authority banned amateur radio activities for several years due to the security policy against the local separatist movement. Many amateurs in Aceh province had to surrender their radio gears to the authority. When the tsunami damaged the telecommunication and electricity, most amateurs in Aceh could not respond immediately to help, as many of them are well trained in amateur radio emergency services.

Nevertheless, the record shows that Anto, YD6AT, was the first operator sending a distress signal through HF 3815MHz (80m) from his emergency station located 2 miles east of Banda Aceh. The second operator who used the VHF linked repeaters in district 6 was a non-callsigner Nurbahagia who is a military police in Lhokseumawe, a city in east coast of Aceh. Second day after tsunami, on 12-27-2004, both Anto and Nurbahagia have successfully contacted several ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) stations including YB6ZES in Medan, the capitol city of North Sumatra province. They reported the devastated situation in their locals using their radios that had been on for 24 hours. Shortly after that Nurbahagia was granted an emergency Zulu station call YC6ZAV by the ORARI. Generally, a suffix Zulu is for the official ORARI station and ARES operation in Indonesia.

Two hours after tsunami occurred the first ARES team that responded to the tsunami affected area in Kuala Putri beach in east coast of North Sumatra province was from the local ORARI of Medan and its vicinity. After they heard about several tsunami victims around the beach they executed their ARES operation. They used two different repeaters, a local repeater on 146.080MHz for Medan and eastern Aceh, and a VHF linked repeater on 146.300MHz that can cover North Sumatra province, east coast of Aceh and west coast of Malaysia. The ARES team setup the first ARES command post located in the emergency room of Adam Malik hospital in Medan. The team members were Dien, YB6OMK, Zainal, YC6PAZ, Herman, YC6IQ, and Azidah, YD6OMQ. While Suparlan, YC6PGO, Zulkarman, YC6PLG and others among the other local ARES team setup the second ARES command post in Melati hospital, Perbaungan, for the first evacuation of the victims from Kuala Putri beach. Some victims were then transported to Adam Malik hospital in Medan. Doctor Harto, YB6HB, was the coordinator of the ARES command post at Melati hospital.

Later in the early evening, Suparlan, Zulkarman and others went to Kuala Putri beach to setup an emergency radio station. They helped three tsunami victims to be transported to Adam Malik hospital in Medan. Simultaneously, an ARES station of Eastern Aceh County joined the 146.080MHz repeater. Their station was granted an emergency station call YB6ZAU by the ORARI of North Sumatra province that was in charge of the district 6. The operators of YB6ZAU were Herry, YD6DHE, Amir, YC6DHC and Muslim, YC6DM. Day two, doctor Harto, YB6HB, and Sungkowo, YC6ON, with their emergency team have been deployed together with the North Sumatra government staffs from Medan to devastated Nias island (about 350 miles south east of the epicenter).

Moreover, doctor Eddy, YC6DEM, with his medical team have been deployed from Medan to Banda Aceh. While Junaidi, YC6PWL, went to Banda Aceh together with the SAR team from Medan. Several northern Sumatra hospitals or medical centers, ambulance units and other emergency mobile units have been equipped with the emergency radio gears. Furthermore, Zulkarman, YC6PLG, and Ady, YB6VK, in Medan have been busy to handle a relay between amateur radio and internet communication from northern Sumatra to many operators in Indonesia and overseas since day one.

A day after tsunami or Monday 12-27-2004, the president of the ORARI central office in Jakarta, Java island, Harsono, YB0PHM, sent a memorandum to all provincial and local ORARI offices. The memo said that all amateurs should stay alert and be ready to help northern Sumatra. It also appointed the provincial ORARI office of North Sumatra to be the coordinator of regional ARES for tsunami affected areas in Sumatra. Based on the memo, the central ORARI office setup several ARES stations in Jakarta, Java island, including YB0Z and YB0Y for national committee of ARES, YB0ZZ for national command post of ARES, YB1ZTB for the Soekarno-Hatta international airport, and YC0EEC for the Halim PK airbase.

All of these stations had been in nonstop operation through the emergency HF frequencies, 7055MHz and 14,250MHz, since a day after tsunami occurred. YB0ZZ station had also been serving for the third party emergency traffic by individual and agency in Java island and northern Sumatra. Among the dedicated operators of YB0ZZ were Ruddy, YB0NM, Budi, YB0HD, Anto, YB0QN, Max, YC0HET and Maliki, YC0XSM. After operating for fifteen days, on and off, YC0XSM became a silent key on 1-11-2005. He was one among the heroic amateur radio volunteers who never stopped to help others during tsunami disaster relief effort. God bless him!

Later Budi, YB0HD, deployed his Jakarta ARES team to Aceh, and Ruddy, YB0NM, accompanied Harsono, YB0PHM, and Faisal, YB1PR, who are the executives of the ORARI headquarters and toured along tsunami disaster areas in Aceh province and North Sumatra province. In Metro Jakarta, Java island, Triadi, YB0KVN, and his local radio amateur team have helped the Indonesian Offroader Club to install a special Zulu station, YB0ZRN, at their club's command post in Jakarta. This station has used to monitor and communicate with the other Zulu stations in the country especially in northern Sumatra. The club has activated their emergency services using their heavy duty all wheel drive vehicles in Aceh to assist the local emergency transportation. Many of their vehicles were equipped with the GPS. The club's field volunteers have often coordinated with the local Zulu stations and mobile stations in Aceh to communicate between them and with the club's central command post.

Following the headquarters' memo the ORARI of North Sumatra province setup two ARES stations in Medan city operating through 7055MHz (40m) and 21,300MHz (15m). YB6ZZ Zulu station located in the provincial ORARI office was for the regional committee of ARES. YB6ZES Zulu station located in the University of North Sumatra, Medan, was for the ARES net control station. The coordinators of YB6ZES were Baharuddin, YC6MWI, and Effri, YC6PN. Next day YB6ZES 24 hour station was moved to the same building where the national Search And Rescue (SAR) bureau's command post and other emergency agencies were located at the Polonia airbase, Medan. It was near by the parking lot for the U.S. Air Force's Chinooks and C-130s. The next coordinator of YB6ZES was Aswin, YB6JMM, assisted by Husni, YB6KTU, Sofyanto, YB6MW, Achyar, YB6NT, Zainal, YC6PAZ, Effri, YC6PN, Syahirman, YC6RKU, Syafruddin, YC6RCN, Soepardi, YC6KBY, Awal, YB6HA, Erwin, YD6PLR, Dien, YB6OMK and Solomon, YB6HX. Moreover, all ARES Zulu stations in northern Sumatra were operated through two VHF repeaters and four HF bands (80M, 40M, 20M and 15M).

Since almost all governmental offices in the disaster areas of Aceh province were disable, Medan city became the center of emergency relief efforts. All local, national and foreign agencies must register and coordinate with North Sumatra provincial government. Hence, the ORARI of North Sumatra should assist all relief efforts accordingly by collecting many HF and VHF/UHF rigs, antennas, power supplies and generators for setting up some ARES Zulu stations at the tsunami disaster areas. They also coordinated many ARES members from other districts in the country and amateur radio volunteers from foreign countries.

In addition, for ARES operation the ORARI has activated many of their local Zulu stations and deployed their ARES members and regular amateur volunteers to help in restoring the communication in the disaster areas. Many local ORARI stations in some other islands and some Malaysian amateur stations in Malaysia had been on almost 24 hours to monitor the HF frequencies for ARES operation. In northern Sumatra, beside using the VHF repeaters through 146.080MHz and 146.300MHz as well as simplex operation for ARES, the HF radios have been used also to overcome the region's difficult areas (mountains, hills and valleys) that VHF/UHF radios did not work.

Among the Zulu stations that began to be setup two days after tsunami was YB6ZAJ mobile unit using Adam Malik hospital's mobile clinic van operated by Zulkarman, YC6PLG, and Suryatno, YC6HSS. The mobile medical unit also carried six doctors from Doctor Sutomo hospital in Surabaya, Java island, many emergency medical apparatus and medicines. The mobile unit traveled from Medan to Banda Aceh along east coast of northern Sumatra. They stopped over every community medical center and hospital to gather the medical data and needs until reached Chut Meutia hospital in Lhokseumawe city, east coast of Aceh. The unit was equipped with an HF rig, a VHF/UHF rig, and a couple of VHF handy transceivers. They reported to the ARES net control, YB6ZES, in Medan almost all the times to request the medical support for local relief centers. Due to an overwhelming situation of having thousands of refugees and hundreds of death in Chut Meutia hospital, YB6ZAJ team decided to convert their mobile unit to be an emergency base station. The call YB6ZAJ was then replaced by YB6ZAV, an ARES base station for medical purposes installed in a physician housing of Chut Meutia hospital.

Other than YB6ZZ, YB6ZES, YB6ZAU, YB6ZAV and YC6ZAV, on 12-30-2004 several Zulu stations were setup in Aceh province. One of them was YB6ZAT in the Blang Bintang airbase in Banda Aceh, operated by Rasidi, YC0FIM, Darkum, YD0LKK, Hudi, YD0BIK, and Andi, YD0WBY, from district 0/Jakarta, Java island. YB6ZBJ station at the Pendopo Gubernur (provincial building), Banda Aceh, operated by Jefry, YC8TZT, Max, YC8TMX and doctor Roy, YD8ULX, from district 8/Sulawesi island. YB6ZBG was for the Syahkuala University, Banda Aceh.

For west coast of Aceh, YB6ZAM was setup at Lhoknga coastal town, south of Banda Aceh, operated by Hudi, YD0BIK, from district 0/Jakarta. By following a lead from the writer through YB6ZES in Medan, Hudi contacted Earl Campbell, N8TV, a ham from New Mexico, U.S., who worked with the International Red Cross and resided at the Indonesian Red Cross office in Banda Aceh. Earl with his radio equipment has helped the CB club station and the ORARI operation in Banda Aceh. He will remain in Aceh until July 2005. Moreover, YB6ZAP was for Lamno town's emergency hospital operated by Ahmad, YC0LJH, from district 0/Jakarta. YB6ZBB was for Teunom town's emergency hospital. YB6ZAW was for Calang town's emergency hospital operated by Eko, YC1OHE, and Rahmat, YB1CY, from district 1/West Java province. When these two operators returned home, an admiral of the Indonesian navy who was an amateur using his call from district 3/East Java replaced them.

Moreover, in Meulaboh city several Zulu stations have been setup. YB6ZAK was for Chut Nyak Dien hospital. YB6ZAL was for the mobile medical unit. YB6ZBI was for the Medco Energy team operated by Sjafri, YC5XIP, from Riau province. YB6ZAO was for the 100th infantry battalion. YB6ZAS was for C arsenal company of 112th infantry battalion operated by Herman, YC6IQ, Muhammad, YC6MRX, and Yusnadi, YD6JRG, from Medan, Amir, YC5XA, from Riau province, Rasidi, YC0FIM, from Jakarta, and Boyke, YC1DLV, from West Java province. Later Herman, YC6IQ, installed and operated YB6ZAN mobile station in the ambulance for Meulaboh area. Moreover, Rasidi, YC0FIM, has also setup an emergency radio station in Sabang island located off west of Sumatra island. YB6ZBF was for Meulaboh's harbor operated by Harry, YC0UXV, from Jakarta, and YB6ZBM was for the Ibu Peduli charity organization operated by Kun, YD1KRZ, from West Java province.

For east coast of Aceh, YB6ZBA was for Aceh Pidie County office and the Indonesian Red Cross operated by Zainal, YC5JAX, from district 5/Riau province, using the county executive's radio gears. YB6ZAB was for Sigli town's hospital and YB6ZAJ was for Sigli town's ambulance. YB6ZBD was for Lhokseumawe city's ambulance. YB6ZBC was for Bireuen town's Doctor Chut Fauziah hospital operated by Sudarsono, YC2TBT, Eko, YD2ECO, Murwat, YD2MAG, and two SAR team members, Burhan and Nurwachid from district 2/Central Java. In Medan, North Sumatra province, other than YB6ZZ and YB6ZES, YB6ZAK was for the health department and YB6ZBH was for the Medco Energy headquarters operated by YC5RXX and YC6TOM. YB6ZAH was for Nias island's hospital. YB6ZRB was for the Hang Nadim airport at Batam island near Singapore.

In the first week of January 2005, an ORARI-ARES team from Java island including Unggul, YH0SES, and two other prospective amateurs, Wisnu and Hario from Jakarta, Hidayat, YC1XDS, from West Java, and Sardjoko, YD2PEQ, from Central Java, arrived in Meulaboh by an Indonesian navy frigate to setup YB6ZAK Zulu station for Chut Nyak Dien hospital. Unggul, YH0SES, who used to be a member of the Australian ARES has become an active interpreter for the hospital in dealing with many foreign volunteers including the US marines and its medical unit, and the doctors from other countries.

According to Unggul, "Meulaboh was destroyed completely like being hit by an atomic bomb, especially in the radius of three kilometers (2.7 miles) from the shore line. The smells of death surround us, as we took a lift from a car rent by a Netherlands journalist who is also an Amateur member in his country. Once we reported to the C arsenal company of the 112th infantry battalion (a military base that acts as the coordination and implementation task force for the aid relief efforts), we chose a post in the central hospital of Meulaboh, as we believed the hospital would be the central of all the helps needed. We erected the antenna on the 5th January 2005 with the poles made of huge and tall bamboo circa 10 meters to hold the dipole antenna, after some matching and radio checking, we were on the air at the working frequencies 7.055.00 and 7.060.00 MHz of HF and 145.500 MHz of VHF with the allocation call sign YB0ZRA/6 then in the 7th Jan 05 the new call sign for us is YB6ZAK as assigned by YB0ZZ (operated by Ruddy, YB0NM).

The volunteers of the hospital's emergency services mostly have only handy transceivers and they all work in different frequencies, so we attended to their daily meeting and organized them to use the same VHF frequency with us as the Emergency Frequency in which our 2 M rigs could act as a repeater for their units in the field. The land line and mobile phone network were destroyed. We did all the best we could to setting up the hospital in all sectors, especially in the hospital management, launched distress call for doctors, nurses, staffs, medicines and all equipment needed by contacting Banda Aceh (YB6ZAT/ZAM) and Medan (YB6ZES), and other places in Indonesia." Then on 1-28-2005 the Japanese doctors including Sato, JR2TDE, Ando, JM2NDG, and Yahinuma, JH1P1P, visited and joined YB6ZAK station at the Chut Nyak Dien hospital, Meulaboh, for three weeks.

In January a tsunami survivor in Meulaboh, Aceh, found an Amateur Radio station permit floating on the wet ground in woods away from the city. The survivor turned the document over to YB6ZAK, the zulu station at Chut Nya Dien Hospital, Meulaboh. It was later determined that the permit had belonged to local engineer Syaiful Hadi, YD6EMF. The Amateur Radio search-and-rescue team located his family only to learn that Syaiful was one among the tsunami victims.

On 1-12-2005 the ORARI-ARES net control station, YB6ZES, at Polonia airbase in Medan, North Sumatra, was visited by the TV reporters from Chile and Switzerland, doctor Andrea from Chile, and a member of the Telecommunication San Frontieres, F4API. Then on Monday 1-17-2005, the executives of the ORARI headquarters in Jakarta including Harsono, YB0PHM, Faisal, YB1PR, and Ruddy, YB0NM, flew to northern Sumatra. They observed and supported closely the dedicated amateur radio volunteers at the disaster areas, including a visit to the emergency net control station, YB6ZES. On Thursday 1-20-2005 at 14:40WIB (West Indonesian Time) or 07:40 UTC the president of the republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the governor of North Sumatra province, T. Rizal Nurdin have visited YB6ZES station.

The president asked about how the amateur radio emergency services can help the disaster relief. Herman, YC6IQ, who was among the operators of YB6ZES, explained that the amateur operators can help to establish the emergency radio stations and its local and long distance communication since the infrastructures were collapsed. Providing radio communication was very crucial for all disaster relief task forces to supply the aid to the victims and survivors in a timely manner. The president wondered what kind of problems faced by the operators in the disaster areas to establish the radio communication. Herman said that there was always a problem in different disaster areas such as short of batteries, fuel for the generators and capable or skillful human resource. Yet such a problem can be solved sooner or later since amateur radio was an independent operation.

During his tour to northern Sumatra, Rudy, YB0NM, from ORARI headquarters said that he was surprised by several Malaysian amateurs who were doctors including Ahmad, 9W2ABC, Yusof, 9M2FF and Habshi, 9W2SF, who have joined the ORARI-ARES members in Banda Aceh. Ahmad, 9W2ABC, had been volunteering in Banda Aceh since first week of January 2005. The Malaysian amateurs were granted a call YB6ZBE by the ORARI for their ARES operation in northern Sumatra. They brought their complete radio gears with them for emergency purposes. On Monday 1-24-2005, Baharuddin, YC6MWI, the secretary of the ORARI of North Sumatra province accompanied Zulkiffley Darus, 9W2TQ, who was an aid relief project leader of the Malaysian amateur radio association (ASTRA) and with his team visited the disaster areas. Zulkiffley told the mass media reporters in Medan, North Sumatra, that the first time some of ASTRA members heard about the tsunami was when they monitored HF and VHF frequencies through where several ORARI-ARES members exchanged their emergency traffics.

Then the ASTRA members established a tsunami relief project that has collected aid such as cloths, soaps, toothpastes, toothbrushes, shampoos and other basic needs that had a total value of 21.738 Ringgit Malaysia (RM) equals to 500 million Indonesian Rupiahs or US$55,555. Their 600 amateur members and other donors have pledged that amount for the disaster victims' families and the survivors in Adam Malik hospital, Medan, and several other disaster areas in Aceh. The project was supported by the Malaysian royal government. Zulkiffley and his team preferred to distribute the aid directly to the tsunami victims and survivors. In addition, the project also deployed twenty one Malaysian medical relief volunteers who were ready to serve the tsunami victims and distribute some medicines in Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. They have planned to extend their support to the tsunami victims at Nias island located off west coast of North Sumatra province.

More than one radio operator may have become an indirect victim of the tsunami. After operating at IARES station YB0ZZ in Jakarta for the better part of 15 days straight, Maliki, YC0XSM, from Jakarta died January 11. Achadi Isnaryanto, YC1IHD, from West Java, died in Banda Aceh March 3, following several weeks of nonstop volunteering. YC0XSM and YC1IHD were among many heroic Amateur Radio volunteers in Indonesia who never gave up in their efforts to help others during the tsunami disaster relief effort.

Acknowledgments: Harsono, YB0PHM and Faisal Anwar, YB1PR, of ORARI Headquarters; Ruddy Aryanto, YB0NM, and Budi Halim, YB0HD, of ORARI-ARES in Jakarta; and Zulkarman Syafrin, YC6PLG, of ORARI-ARES in Medan for sharing the information used in this account.

* Wyn W. Purwinto, AB2QV, of Syracuse, New York, is an ARRL member and also belongs to three ham radio clubs. An Amateur Extra class license, he has been an authorized volunteer examiner with the ARRL-VEC and W5YI-VEC since 2003. He is a trusty and technical advisor of the Amateur Radio Club @ Syracuse University. This original report was written on 1-30-2005 in Syracuse, New York.