[ARRL-OK] ARRL, ARES and Emergency Communications

[Mark Conklin via ARRL-OK]

At the HamHoliday Hamfest in OKC recently ARRL West Gulf Div. Dir. John Stratton N5AUS made mention of the ARRL Board of Directors passing a resolution regarding Emergency Communications. 

In that resolution the ARRL Board of Directors said  "on behalf of the membership, reaffirms its
commitment and desire to further improve and enhance Amateur Radio’s
participation and standing in emergency communications for the benefit of the
nation’s emergency response agencies and the American public."

Below my signature line I have posted item #31 from the meeting minutes from theARRL Board of Directors (2014 Second Meeting, July 21-22) or you can download the entire minutes from the PDF at the link below . 

http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/2014_July_ARRL_Board_Minutes.pdf

73 & Thank you for your service,

Mark Conklin, N7XYO
Oklahoma Section Emergency Coordinator
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
918.232.8346
n7xyo at arrl.net
Follow me on Twitter @N7XYO

www.ARESOK.org

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From Minutes, ARRL Board of Directors 2014 Second Meeting, July 21-22 

31. On motion of Mr. Rehman, seconded by Dr. Boehner, the following resolution was ADOPTED: 

WHEREAS, the FCC has historically recognized and emphasized the national value of Amateur Radio in Part 97 of the FCC rules, including §97.1.a “Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications”; and 

WHEREAS in recognition of Amateur Radio’s value to emergency communications, the FCC has allocated significant spectrum access to Amateur Radio; and 

WHEREAS countless Amateur Radio operators volunteer tens of thousands of hours of service to local, state and national disaster situations and exercises each year – providing emergency and public service communications through the ARRL ARES® program as well as through partners including the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and countless CERT teams across the country; and 

WHEREAS Craig Fugate – Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – has emphasized, most recently at the ARRL National Centennial Convention in his keynote speech, the importance of Amateur Radio to the national interest; and 

WHEREAS, Amateur Radio emergency communications is vital in the national interest, as mentioned in Craig Fugate’s speech that “Radio is one of the most resilient communications technologies we have. When the power is out and telecommunications are down, the Amateur Radio community can serve as a vital resource in support of emergency responders and survivors during a disaster. This MOA will strengthen FEMA’s partnership with ARRL and build upon our work to expand emergency communications capabilities and the use of Amateur Radio in emergency management.”; 

WHEREAS, the FCC has also recognized the value of the Amateur Radio Service, in public documents, including “Uses and Capabilities of Amateur Radio Service Communications in Emergencies and Disaster Relief” dated August 20, 2012 – wherein the FCC summarized the contribution of Amateur Radio by saying “… the emergency response and disaster communications communities all agree that amateur radio can be of great value in emergency response situations. Amateur radio carries with it a wide range of advantages that allow it to supplement other emergency communications activities during disasters. This has been demonstrated time and again in a wide variety of emergency and disaster situations. Amateur radio emergency communications require not only stations in a position to originate the emergency message, but also an alternative to the commercial communications infrastructure impacted by the emergency”; 
 
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved that the ARRL Board of Directors, on behalf of the membership, reaffirms its commitment and desire to further improve and enhance Amateur Radio’s participation and standing in emergency communications for the benefit of the nation’s emergency response agencies and the American