[KYHAM] ARRL REAFFIRMS CLOSE TIES WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

[Ron Dodson]

FYI: From this week's ARRL Letter...

==>ARRL REAFFIRMS CLOSE TIES WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

The ARRL and the American Red Cross have renewed and updated
the Statement
of Understanding (SoU) between the two organizations, last
visited in
1994. Formal cooperative arrangements between the ARRL and
the American
Red Cross date back to before World War II.

"Both ARRL volunteers and American Red Cross workers will
work
cooperatively at the scene of a disaster and in the disaster
recovery,
within the scope of their respective roles and duties," the
agreement
provides.

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said no significant
changes resulted
from the consultations leading up to the new SoU, and the
updated document
reaffirms the spirit of cooperation that has existed all
along between the
two organizations.

"In the wake of 9/11 and all the wonderful work that was
done in New York
City and Washington, DC," Haynie said, "this agreement has
rekindled our
enthusiasm." Amateur Radio Emergency Service and Red Cross
volunteers
worked side-by-side following the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.

In the document, the ARRL recognizes the American Red Cross
as "having
primary responsibility for responding to domestic disasters"
and expresses
the League's desire "to maintain a harmonious and
cooperative
relationship" with the ARC in providing emergency
communication services
to communities affected by disasters.

Among other things, the SoU calls for "close liaison"
between the American
Red Cross (ARC) and the ARRL and for each organization to
"share current
data" regarding disasters and disaster declarations. If
amateurs are
required to carry ARC identification while supporting the
Red Cross during
a disaster, the ARC is to provide operators' names if ARRL
requests them.

With some exceptions under the SoU, amateurs would at all
times be
considered ARRL volunteers. In addition, the SoU says,
amateur licensees
supporting the ARC "shall at all times exercise sole and
exclusive control
over the operation of their radio stations. Such control
cannot be
surrendered or delegated, in accordance with federal law."

The new agreement also characterizes the ARRL Amateur Radio
emergency
communications courses <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> as a
mutually beneficial
training program. "Volunteers holding valid ARRL Emergency
Communications
Certification credentials will be recognized for this
knowledge," the SoU
stipulates.

The newest SoU will remain in force for the next five years,
although one
provision calls for representatives of American Red Cross
Disaster
Services and ARRL to "jointly evaluate" progress in
implementing the SoU
and to "revise and develop new plans or goals as
appropriate" annually. It
was ratified in September by Haynie and ARC Disaster
Services Executive
Vice President John McDivitt.

In a letter marking the first anniversary of the September
11, 2001,
terrorist attacks, the ARC's Jay Ferron, N4GAA, wrote Haynie
to express
appreciation for Amateur Radio's support for Red Cross
activities over the
years. An ARC disaster telecommunications partner, Ferron
helped
coordinate ARES and Red Cross activities at the World Trade
Center.

According to Ferron, the American Red Cross encourages
municipalities and
homeowners' associations to employ regulations that will not
impinge on
the needs of Amateur Radio operators. "In emergencies, the
American Red
Cross and the people we serve need what radio amateurs
provide--effective
communications through existing equipment and antenna
systems," he
concluded.

A copy of the September 2002 Statement of Understanding
between the
American Red Cross and the ARRL is available on the ARRL Web
site
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/mou/redcro.html>.
_______________________________________________
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