Press Release

Jersey City Amateur Radio Club Joins Relief Efforts in WTC Disaster

September 16, 2001, Jersey City, NJ:

The Jersey City Amateur Radio Club (JCARC) was called into service by the American Red Cross on September 11, 2001, immediately after the explosion at the World Trade Center destroyed the local Red Cross’s radio system. Claudio Perez, Disaster Services Director of the Hudson County chapter of the Red Cross, made the request.

Initial response was by Stanley B. Daniels (call sign KB2FY), John H. Hunter (call sign KE2ZZ), and Richard N. Krajewski (call sign WB2CRD). They took immediate action to establish a VHF radio station at the Red Cross building on 26 Greenville Avenue in Jersey City. Using an emergency vehicle to get past police roadblocks, they obtained the equipment they needed to construct the station. Then, with the indispensable help of Mike Janeczko, a volunteer electrician, they built and raised an antenna above the building, to which they connected a 50-Watt transceiver, and operated it under Rich’s call sign of WB2CRD. This system allowed them to make contact with the emergency communications networks of neighboring counties, and to pass emergency messages to the disaster site in New York City via the New York RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) net. (RACES is a descendent of the Civil Defense system.)

Joined later by Max Samad (call sign N2UVF), the club operated the station almost continuously during most of the week. John, KE2ZZ, and Stan, KB2FY, were the backbone of the effort, working especially long hours (almost a 48-hour shift interrupted only by catnaps), and were hailed for their extreme devotion to the rescue effort.

Considering that, before the disaster, the club was just planning to organize, train themselves, and then deploy an amateur radio station over several months, it was amazing that a permanent station was erected and running from scratch in only a few hours.

On an important and somber note, JCARC noted that Lt. Robert D. Cirri, Sr. (call sign KA2OTD) -- who was crucial in forming the club and in arranging for our affiliation with the Red Cross -- was listed as missing in action by the Port Authority Police Department. Lt. Cirri heroically rushed to save the lives of World Trade Center occupants immediately after the first explosion. All members of JCARC watch and hope for his safe return.

Honorary member Brian R. Fernandez, K1BRF, has been working at the WTC site along with other hams in running emergency communications for the rescue workers.

Other founding members of JCARC who arrived at the Hudson County Red Cross to help the club prepare for future action were, in alphabetical order, Hector V. Gongora (call sign WB2TSH), Frank L. Murray, Jr. (call sign KB2TNH), Thomas M. Rowan (call sign KC2GYN), and Charles A. West (call sign KB2SDP). The club makes special mention of Frank’s, KB2TNH’s, support of the club in its earliest stages. His enthusiasm and vision for the potential of JCARC as an important force in the community’s emergency, educational, and recreational needs should benefit both the club and the entire city and county. Frank is the owner of Murray’s, A Temple of Service, funeral home on 748 Ocean Avenue in Jersey City.

Many ham radio operators in the area continue to support the rescue effort from their home stations, relaying messages as required.

If anyone would like to join the JCARC, please contact WB2CRD at 201-659-0041, or the Hudson County chapter of the American Red Cross at 201-433-3100, Ext. 20. Our web site is http://www.qsl.net/jcarc/ and our e-mail address is [email protected].

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