Scanner Transcription Project
From Hurricane Info Wiki
What is Interdictor?
The Interdictor Project is focused on transcription and summarization of radio scanner feeds as well as maintaining Internet Relay Channels (IRC) for discussion during significant disaster events.
We are an ad hoc group of volunteers that has come together to monitor radio scanners broadcasting public safety, emergency management, and amateur radio feeds for critical, up-to-the minute information that would be useful to the public at-large as part of the evacuation and recovery efforts. Normally, such information is only recorded by the agencies working on them or monitored only by enthusiasts or news media.
The Interdictor Project is transcribing or summarizing the radio traffic on channels in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) (depending on volunteer resource levels) and distributing the information directly through the public on IRC or throughout social networks such as Twitter, Ning and other methods of interaction.
Are You New Here?
If you just came aboard, head to the irc.freenode.net IRC Server and join the #interdictor channel.
Quick Start Guide
- Download and install an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Client such as mIRC Colloquy or xChat.
- Connect to the irc.freenode.net server, and join #interdictor Channel List.
- Start reading the Interdictor Transcription Draft Manual.
- Pick a feed from the radioreference.com Hurricane Ike list and begin listening. Galveston (Galveston County) takes priority over Houston (Harris County). The VOIPWXNet channel is important as well.
- Identify yourself as a Summarization/Transcription Volunteer in channel #interdictor
- Put your availability and contact information as a volunteer on our Volunteer_Schedule
- Begin summarizing the traffic you hear on IRC channel #interdictor-scanner with a prefix relate to your feed eg "galves-police: Wires down reported in X, Unit Y responding".
- Post important information to Twitter with #Ike or other such locations including relevant pages in this Wiki and in #interdictor
- Check the TO DO list for proposed projects
Radio Reference Sources
Terms
Transcriber - listens to radio feeds and transcribes broadcasts. Usually one primary with a backup/alternate.
Scribe - Can also be the transcriber, but may also review and summarize transcriptions for -digest
Protocol in Channels
Please read!!
If you are in a scanner or echo-link channel, please do not post direct conversation without brackets around your input.
That way your dialogue will not be picked up by the other staff who are compiling transcripts into the digest. Thank you for your cooperation! snax
History
The Interdictor IRC channels were reactivated to address disaster preparedness and recovery during Hurricane Gustav. Interdictor originated during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
This component was created as direct result of the NOLA survival livejournal blog now located at http://mgno.com. Information from the IRC channels were compiled into NOLA-Intel, a community-editable website(wiki). The NOLA-Intel wiki was setup to factor the tons of random bits of information flowing out of New Orleans in totally disorganized chunks, and being repeated around the Internet in various forms. Most of our work was focused on transcription of scanner feeds and maintaining IRC channels for discussion.
This project was very similar to the http://katrinahelp.info upon which this wiki is based. However, the key difference is that Interdictor IRC and NOLA-Intel wiki relied on most of its content and interaction with older conventional tools, including HAM radio operators, scanners, and citizen journalists.
Preparation for Hurricane Gustav has allowed many valuable resources to combine efforts to provide greater coverage to those affected by disasters in their time of need. Thank you for your support!
