[Mobile-Portable] Want advice

[Dick Flanagan]

At 11:17 AM 7/26/2004, I wrote:
 >In an emergency where lives and property are at stake, anyone can operate
 >any radio on any frequency to the extent necessary to address the
 >emergency.  You will need to justify your actions after the fact, but
 >that's just common sense.
 >
 >"I know I could have used my radio and I'm sorry I let the officer die, but
 >I didn't want to get in trouble."
 >
 >There are no rules where lives are at stake.

Here are the actual FCC rules regarding emergency operating.  Note 
especially 97.403 and .405:

§97.401 Operation during a disaster.
(a) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged or disrupted 
because a disaster has occurred, or is likely to occur, in an area where 
the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, an amateur station may make 
transmissions necessary to meet essential communication needs and 
facilitate relief actions.

(b) When a disaster disrupts normal communication systems in a particular 
area, the FCC may declare a temporary state of communication emergency. The 
declaration will set forth any special conditions and special rules to be 
observed by stations during the communication emergency. A request for a 
declaration of a temporary state of emergency should be directed to the EIC 
in the area concerned.


§97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any 
means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential 
communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life 
and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are 
not available.


§97.405 Station in distress.
(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in 
distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its 
condition and location, and obtain assistance.

(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the 
exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a), of any means of 
radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.

The situation must be an "exceptional" situation, though, but the amateur 
station must justify it in the event of an FCC inquiry.


We return you now to your regularly scheduled Mobile-Portable Reflector.  :)

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc at arrl.org