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<title>Use of Ham Radio during emergencies and emergency practice
drills</title>
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ALCON-<br>
<br>
<font color="#ff0000">This is an FYI / QST</font><br>
<br>
<br>
A few months ago, the topic of <u><b>"could paid firemen, EMTs, or
other 'first responders', who were also licensed hams, use Amateur
Radios during an emergency or during an emergency preparedness practice
drill ?".</b></u><br>
<br>
There was no concern for situations where a <u><b>real</b></u>
emergency existed - everyone recognized that when all else fails anyone
can use a ham radio to save lives or property when there is no other
means of communication. <br>
<br>
The point of contention related to the fact that when an emergency
responder is 'on duty' and in need of communications in order to <b><u>practice</u></b>
saving life or property, does the prohibition on accepting monetary
compensation for using their radio operator's privileges, preclude them
from <b><u>practicing</u></b> the use of ham radio equipment as a part
of the practice drill. <u>During the period of time that they are 'on
the air' using a ham radio, <b>practicing</b> for an emergency, they
would in fact be being paid to do so</u>.<br>
<br>
Also, up for discussion was the issue of the nature or authorization or
certification of the training and drills - were they to be: <br>
<br>
<blockquote>1) 'government sponsored' i.e. ARES <br>
or<br>
2) 'privately or non government sponsored' i.e. Prince William Hospital
or Potomac Hospital sponsored.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Well ... it turns out that those questions were answered in an FCC
REPORT AND ORDER adopted: July 14, 2010 and released July 14, 2010 (see
attached PDF) and/or at the WWW on: <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.qsl.net/lmtdcs/FCC-10-124A.pdf">http://www.qsl.net/lmtdcs/FCC-10-124A.pdf</a><br>
<br>
That FCC order states:<br>
<br>
<blockquote><i><b>"In this Report and Order, we amend the Commission's
amateur radio service rules.</b></i><br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote>
<blockquote><b><i>1 Specifically, we amend the rules to permit
amateur radio operators to transmit messages, under certain limited
circumstances, during either government sponsored or non government
sponsored emergency and disaster preparedness drills, regardless of
whether the operators are employees of entities participating in the
drill. Although public safety land mobile radio systems are the primary
means of radio-based communications for emergency responders,
experience has shown that amateur radio has played an important role in
preparation for, during, and in the aftermath of, natural and man-made
emergencies and disasters.</i></b><br>
<br>
<b><i>2. Current rules provide for amateur radio use during
emergencies. At the same time, the rules prohibit communications in
which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary
interest, including communications on behalf of an employer. While
there are some exceptions to this prohibition, there is none that would
permit amateur station control operators who are employees of public
safety agencies and other entities, such as hospitals, to participate
in drills, tests, and exercises in preparation for such emergency
situations and transmit messages on behalf of their employers during
such drills and tests. <u>Accordingly, we amend our rules to provide
that, under certain limited conditions, amateur radio operators may
transmit messages during emergency and disaster preparedness drills and
exercises, limited to the duration of such drills and exercises,
regardless of whether the operators are employees of entities
participating in the drills or exercises."</u></i></b><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br>
Toward the end of the document you will also find the following:<br>
<br>
<blockquote>
<blockquote><b><i>"97.113 Prohibited transmissions.</i></b><br>
<blockquote><b><i>(a) * * *<br>
</i></b>
<blockquote><b><i>(3) Communications in which the station
licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including
communications on behalf of an employer, with the following exceptions:<br>
<br>
</i></b>
<blockquote><b><i>(i) A station licensee or control station
operator may participate on behalf of an employer in an emergency
preparedness or disaster readiness test or drill, limited to the
duration and scope of such test or drill, and operational testing
immediately prior to such test or drill. <u>Tests or drills that are
not government sponsored are limited to a total time of one hour per
week</u> ; except that no more than twice in any calendar year, they
may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours."</i></b><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72"><font color="#ff0000"><u><b><big><big><big><big>End of FYI / QST</big></big></big></big></b></u></font>
--
Terry McCarty
<a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:3t3@comcast.net">3t3@comcast.net</a>
wa5nti</pre>
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