Ukraine: DARC provides an update

Germany’s DARC reports in Romania radio amateurs have been contacted by the government to offer their expertise should the situation deteriorate. DARC also provides guidance for German amateurs

A translation of the DARC post reads:

As has been reported several times in the past few days, war is currently raging in Ukraine and as a result the use of amateur radio stations is currently prohibited. The situation is being monitored very closely by IARU Region 1 and its member countries, and measures to support the refugees are being prepared, particularly in the countries that are on the route of the refugee movements.

In Romania, radio amateurs have been contacted by the government to offer their expertise should the situation deteriorate. In Poland, mobile phone providers are setting up temporary mobile phone stations and refugees are granted free use of mobile phones and trains. Furthermore, Polish radio amateurs have also activated more Winlink gateways to give Ukrainian radio amateurs more options for communication should the cellular networks fail or be switched off.

In principle, however, every radio amateur who is currently transmitting from the Ukraine is risking his life. If you listen to a Ukrainian station, you should definitely not shout about it. The dissemination of call signs, locations and frequencies – whether on a band or in a cluster – should be avoided in any case.

In the current situation, the best we can do is listen. We should not try to call Ukrainian radio amateurs. If we happen to hear a corresponding call, we shouldn’t organize a pile-up either, because we absolutely want to work a station during the war.

Otherwise, as usual, if you hear the words “Emergency”, “Welfare Traffic” or the abbreviation “QUF”, stop transmitting, listen and follow a few simple rules:
– When you receive such traffic, listen and write down everything you hear.
– Stay on the frequency until it’s clear you can’t help AND someone else is helping.
– Don’t send until you are 100% sure you can help!
– Follow the instructions of the control station

The control station is the station that has the emergency or has been designated as such by the station in distress.
– Keep the news short. Do not exchange useless information.
– Roughly follow the emergency call scheme that you learned in the first aid course:
– When did it happen? (date, time, frequency)
– Where did it happen? (place of emergency)
– What happened?
– How can we help?
– Who can help?

The emergency call can then be passed on to the local police, who have the appropriate contacts in the Foreign Office. Of course, you have to explain calmly and factually what kind of information you have. Don’t panic and stay calm.

And always remember that we are a medium to deliver messages. We can and we do – but no more. In particular, explaining to others how to help is not our job.

If you have searches for missing persons, there is the Red Cross search service, which is already active in countries with refugee flows. Even if the IT systems of the search service are paralyzed by a cyber attack, the service is still available.

The Red Cross writes the following on its website:
“The concern and fear for family members, friends and acquaintances in Ukraine is unimaginably great. Individual inquiries can be sent to away-migration(at)drk.de.

Search requests – even if no active search is possible in Ukraine at the moment – are accepted by the DRK tracing service, i.e. by all DRK tracing service advice centers at all DRK association levels: https://www.drk-suchdienst.de/“

What is not needed are people who think that they are now “saving the world” with their emergency radio kits and know everything better anyway. The Ukrainian President has already received confirmation from Elon Musk and Starlink that the appropriate equipment for broadband Internet access via satellite is on the way and mobile networks are currently also working. I.e. communication via shortwave is currently not needed and I repeat myself:

The best we can do is listen.

Source DARC https://darc.de/ via SouthGate