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/ 07.15.2010 1:00PM
FCC Amends Ham Radio Emergency Communications Rules
WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission this week amended its ham radio rules
to allow users to transmit emergency messages on behalf of employers.
“Many state and
local governments, public safety agencies, and hospitals incorporate amateur
radio operators and the communication capabilities of the amateur service into
their emergency planning,” the FCC Report
and Order states. Land mobile radio is the primary means
of communications for emergency responders, it said, but “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.”
Current rules allow
hams to operate during emergencies, but prohibit communications on behalf of
employers. There are some exceptions, though none that permit hams who work
for public safety agencies or hospitals, for example, to participate in drills,
tests and exercises. Nor are they allowed to transmit messages on behalf of
employers. The FCC ham rules were amended to allow such participation.
“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.”
-- Deborah D. McAdams
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