ODV, FYI. Steve Waterman (K4CJX) has assured me that Curt Bartholomew (N3GQ) at the FCC wanted the entire Board to read his comments below. As you can also read below, I have already forwarded N3GQ's comments to the ad-hoc committee recently authorized by the Board and appointed by W5ZN. BTW, I do not personally know N3GQ, but it is my understanding that K4CJX and N3GQ know each other fairly well. I was included on these emails because K4CJX is an Assistant Director for the Delta Division and Steve knows that I am trying to raise the Board's attention to EmComm related issues. 73, K5MC ----- Original Message ----- From: "K4CJX" <k4cjx@comcast.net> To: "'Mickey Cox'" <mcoxk5mc@bellsouth.net> Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 8:24 PM Subject: RE: ARRL & EmComm
Mickey,
That is why it was re-written rather than having the more direct and "personal" view distributed.
Steve
-----Original Message----- From: Mickey Cox [mailto:mcoxk5mc@bellsouth.net] Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 8:08 PM To: K4CJX Subject: Re: ARRL & EmComm
Steve,
If you are sure that Bart wants me to do that, I will forward his message below to the entire Board via the ODV reflector.
73, K5MC
----- Original Message ----- From: "K4CJX" <k4cjx@comcast.net> To: "'Mickey Cox'" <mcoxk5mc@bellsouth.net> Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 7:24 PM Subject: RE: ARRL & EmComm
Purdy, please,
Put it on the ODV Reflector?
Steve
-----Original Message----- From: Mickey Cox [mailto:mcoxk5mc@bellsouth.net] Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 7:20 PM To: Curt Bartholomew; K4CJX Cc: garystratton@cmaaccess.com; n3kn@arrl.org; Chris Imlay; k1zz@arrl.org; David Woolweaver; k5uz@arrl.org; w5zn@arrl.org Subject: Re: ARRL & EmComm
Bart N3GQ,
Thanks very much for your message below.
ARRL President Joel Harrison W5ZN has just appointed an ad-hoc committee to prepare guidelines for use by the amateur community and others to identify inappropriate use of amateur radio. This committee will present its findings to the ARRL Executive Committee within the next 30 days. I am taking the liberty to forward your message below to each member of the ad-hoc committee as well as to President Harrison. For your information, the ad-hoc committee members are as follows:
First Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN - Chair West Gulf Division Director David Woolweaver, K5RAV Delta Division Vice Director David Norris, K5UZ Executive Vice President Dave Sumner, K1ZZ General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD
Thanks again and 73,
Mickey Cox, K5MC Delta Division Director
----- Original Message ----- From: "Curt Bartholomew" <Curt.Bartholomew@fcc.gov> To: "K4CJX" <k4cjx@comcast.net>; "MICKEY COX" <mcoxk5mc@bellsouth.net> Cc: <garystratton@cmaaccess.com>; "Curt Bartholomew" <Curt.Bartholomew@fcc.gov> Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 6:49 PM Subject: RE: ARRL & EmComm
Greetings, Gentlemen.
It is indeed great to see the passion you display in support of providing the American people with volunteer emergency communications during their greatest time of need.
While it is a concern that there is the recent appearance that the ARRL BOD has relegated EmComm to a low priority, I am not discouraged and you should not be either. Since 9/11/01, the ARRL has made significant strides in improving ARS EmComm with its courses, books, CDs, equipment caches, hiring an emergency manager, and other actions. The current situation may only be a temporary misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of today's increasingly tense spectrum situation.
Both the FCC and NTIA are continually being pressured for more spectrum from
commercial interests. The continued explosion of cell phone and other wireless device usage has companies scrambling for what spectrum they can get. Most people do not get to see this situation first hand -- we see it often at the FCC. No service regulated by the FCC or NTIA is immune from being raided; so every service has to be on its guard and be able to justify
its frequency allocations.
We at the FCC's Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau are embarking on a new trail to help facilitate the resolution of ARS EmComm issues that involve served agencies. However, we only want to be involved where the need is apparent and asked for. We have to be respectful of States' rights,
contributions of individuals and organizations, and the ability of volunteers to provide the services needed in emergencies and disasters. This
outreach has not been done before in anyone's memory who still works there.
The more the ARS is viewed by the American public as a source of emergency communications and public service, the more likely it is that the ARS will be able to keep its frequency allocations, especially in the VHF and above bands. Although since 1970 I have enjoyed the other "hobby" aspects of ham radio, such as DXing, contesting, rag chewing, equipment building, fox hunting, and experimenting with the new digital modes, none of them have captured the American public's attention as something they need more than their plethora of wireless devices -- except public service and emergency communications.
We should appreciate that the ARRL spends a lot of time dealing with ARES personnel issues, which may by association make EmComm not their favorite topic to deal with. When I was preparing my ECAP program (Emergency Communications Accreditation Program) at FEMA HQ in 2002 and 2003, I spoke with then ARRL president Jim Haynie at length about it. He mentioned that he and the ARRL staff have had to spend an incredible amount of time dealing
with personality issues and other related issues that took time away from their other duties. He suggested that we dissolve both the ARES and RACES services and start up a joint service. Those of us who have served as ECs, DECs, ASMs, and in other EmComm positions can readily understand that particular frustration. However, as a volunteer service, it is not unlike the other volunteer services; in that there are clashes in personalities that are destructive to the mission. It comes with the territory. We have to learn to get along better for the good of the service.
Regarding paid employee status, there are clearly some misunderstandings circulating, and it should be a non-issue. For example, at the Dayton Hamvention, a question answered by Bill Cross of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau regarding paid duty status was answered officially
a few years ago, and I believe he may have misunderstood the question because the acoustics were not great in that room. Here is the answer to that question, that is still in effect, as I understood it:
In its Report and Order in WT Docket 04-140, the FCC stated, "Section 97.113
does not prohibit amateur radio operators who are emergency personnel engaged in disaster relief from using the amateur service bands while in a paid duty status. These individuals are not receiving compensation for transmitting amateur service communications; rather, they are receiving compensation for services related to their disaster relief duties and in their capacities as emergency personnel."
You should also know that questions relating to emergency communications, public safety, and homeland security in general are now being answered by the (almost 3-year-old) FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, in
coordination with the other FCC bureaus.
The number of EmComm issues in need of addressing may be significant, but we
won't know until we get an inventory from all concerned. We know that we will not resolve them overnight, and they do not all lend themselves to needing assistance from the federal government. However, it is imperative that the dialogue to address them with all served agencies and concerned parties be conducted in an orderly, open, and inclusive manner for the benefit of the served agencies, the citizens they serve, and of course the EmComm operators themselves. It is my hope that our upcoming FCC ARS EmComm
Summit will help with the dialogue and perhaps with some issue resolution. Together we can all make this happen. It's worth the effort.
"Keep your family safe, your batteries charged, and your Go-Kit ready."
-Bart
Curt R. Bartholomew, N3GQ
FCC/PSHSB Senior Emergency Manager