How to volunteer tech/net services, etc for Katrina cleanup

Fri Sep 2 20:12:20 UTC 2005

In the interests of providing willing volunteers with a productive  
place to offer their services, I just read the following:

   http://www.boingboing.net/2005/09/02/fcc_coordinating_tec.html

This is arguably off-topic for this list, for which I apologise.  
However, I thought it was worth sharing given the increasing number  
of people trying to use the NANOG list to volunteer to help.

Text follows.

> FCC COORDINATING TECH AID FOR KATRINA DISASTER
>
> Quick notes from conference call hosted by the FCC today about  
> urgently coordinating resources and personnel from internet/ 
> wireless service providers to get communications networks up and  
> running in in gulf states.
>
> Lack of communications systems has been identified as a critical  
> issue holding back aid, missing persons, law enforcement, etc. in  
> crisis areas.
>
> FCC personnel are working throughout the weekend to coordinate  
> these efforts with private industry, with wireless technology  
> groups, FEMA, and state governments in Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.
>
> One of the challenges they face in this effort is fact that the  
> coordination effort involves multiple layers of bureaucracies --  
> also, that there has been no central point for directing available  
> assets offered by private industry. Participants on the call  
> included folks from Cisco, Intel, and wireless organizations.
>
> Another challenge: working with FEMA and local governments to  
> ascertain whether it is more immediately effective to get old  
> systems up and running, or create new temporary ones. Depends on  
> tech behind communications system in question.
> COMPANIES WITH TECH ASSETS AND/OR HUMAN RESOURCES TO DONATE FOR  
> COMMUNICATIONS AID IN KATRINA-IMPACTED AREAS SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING
>
> FCC Chief of Staff Dan Gonzales (dan dot gonzales at fcc dot org) says
>
> FCC needs the following information from would be tech donors BY  
> NOON EASTERN ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3.
>
> 1) identify the provider (name of your company or group)
> 2) identify assets you are willing to commit
> 3) state clearly what assets you are technologically capable of  
> providing (IP? data? voice?)
> 4) what your logistical requirements are to bring that to the  
> affected area.
> 5) can you bring generators? if so what size? capacity? power levels?
>
> SUBMIT THIS INFORMATION TO
>
> PART-15.ORG (they have an online submission form to collect this data)
> or wireless at part-15.org
>
> contacts: Michael Anderson (wireless at part-15.org) 630-466-9090, and  
> Claudia Crowley (ccrowley at gmail dot com), 817-292-0230.
>
> Snip from part-15.org website:
>
> The FCC and FEMA is in a desperate need to reestablish  
> communications in the disaster area. More specifically, the  
> metropolitan area of New Orleans and it's surrounding areas. What  
> can Wireless access internet service providers do to help? We can  
> reestablish internal communications and provide connectivity to all  
> disaster relief efforts by installing point to point, point to  
> multipoint links, IP Web cams to assist the police and fire  
> departments who can not be everywhere in such a large area, VoIP  
> phones to provide voice communications to relief personnel in  
> remote areas and many other types of normal everyday communications  
> that most people take for granted.
>
> To accomplish these goals, we will need not only the License Exempt  
> Industry as a whole, but local communities, major companies, and  
> all others that can provide even the slightest of assistance to our  
> teams.
>
> * FCC reps on the conference call also said they may relax some  
> regulations (power restrictions, etc) but are concerned that the  
> effort be coordinated centrally, carefully, so that various  
> emergency communications "efforts don't end up stepping on each  
> other" and causing more of a tech mess.
>
> * Quote from call participant Jim Duncan, Cisco Critical  
> Infrastructure Insurance group: "Operational issue number one is  
> fuel and energy. Convoy accident happened today with fuel truck  
> heading into one area... getting fuel and power in is critical,  
> nothing can happen in terms of communications without that.  
> Communications priorities will include law enforcement issues, but  
> also missing persons -- getting refugees access to webpages to  
> unite missing families... "
>
> * Some call participants also noted that any volunteers who end up  
> being assigned in the affected area should bring sleeping bags,  
> water, food so as not to strain resources. Hotel rooms, cars are  
> hard to come by. Tech experts who end up coming to the area (by way  
> of coordinated aid efforts) should be prepared to camp out.

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