[PBARC] RACES guidelines....

[E. Glenn Wolf, Jr.]

In light of Wednesday's meeting, I thought I would be useful to resend =
these
rules.  The original was in HTML format and much easier to read but this
isn't too bad.  For some reason I had the very last paragraph =
highlighted
.....  Reading this should certainly cure most mild forms of insomnia.

Glenn



Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
 =20
RACES
FCC Rules

Subpart A--General Provisions
=A797.3 Definitions.
(a) The definitions of terms used in Part 97 are:
(37) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio service =
using
amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of =
local,
regional, or national civil emergencies.

=A797.17 Application for new license grant.
(a) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for a new operator/ =
primary
station, club station or military recreation station license grant. No =
new
license grant will be issued for a RACES station.
Subpart E--Providing Emergency Communications

=A797.401 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.=20
(b) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged, or =
disrupted
because a natural disaster has occurred, or is likely to occur, in an =
area
where the amateur service is not regulated by the FCC, a station =
assisting
in meeting essential communication needs and facilitating relief actions =
may
do so only in accord with ITU Resolution No. 640 (Geneva, 1979). The 80 =
m,
75 m, 40 m, 30 m, 20 m, 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 2 m bands may be used for
these purposes.=20
(c) 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.=20
(d) A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit emissions =
J3E
and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz for emergency communications. The
channel must be shared with stations licensed in the Alaska-private =
fixed
service. The transmitter power must not exceed 150 W.=20

=A797.403 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.=20

=A797.405 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.=20
(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.

=A797.407 Radio amateur civil emergency service.
(a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed =
primary,
club, or military recreation station and it is certified by a civil =
defense
organization as registered with that organization, or it is an =
FCC-licensed
RACES station. No person may be the control operator of a RACES station, =
or
may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES
unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license and is
certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that =
organization.
(b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the =
control
operator are available to stations transmitting communications in RACES =
on a
shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency =
which
necessitates the invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under =
the
provisions of Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, =
47
U.S.C. =A7606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in =
RACES may
only transmit on the following frequencies:
(1) The 1800-1825 kHz, 1975-2000 kHz, 3.50-3.55 MHz, 3.93-3.98 MHz,
3.984-4.000 MHz, 7.079-7.125 MHz, 7.245-7.255 MHz, 10.10-10.15 MHz,
14.047-14.053 MHz, 14.22-14.23 MHz, 14.331-14.350 MHz, 21.047-21.053 =
MHz,
21.228-21.267 MHz, 28.55-28.75 MHz, 29.237-29.273 MHz, 29.45-29.65 MHz,
50.35-50.75 MHz, 52-54 MHz, 144.50-145.71 MHz, 146-148 MHz, 2390-2450 =
MHz
segments;
(2) The 1.25 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm bands; and
(3) The channels at 3.997 and 53.30 MHz may be used in emergency areas =
when
required to make initial contact with a military unit and for =
communications
with military stations on matters requiring coordination.
(c) A RACES station may only communicate with:
(1) Another RACES station;
(2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization;
(3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible =
agency
to communicate with RACES stations;
(4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such =
communication
is authorized by the FCC.
(d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may =
only
communicate with:
(1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with =
which
the amateur station is registered;
(2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil
defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is
registered:
(i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization;
(ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil =
defense
organization;
(iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible
agency to communicate with RACES stations; and
(iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such =
communication
is authorized by the FCC.
(e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically =
authorized
by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil =
defense
communications of the following types may be transmitted:
(1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the
public safety, or affecting the national defense or security during =
periods
of local, regional, or national civil emergencies;
(2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of
individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law =
and
order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of =
armed
attack or sabotage;
(3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of
public information or instructions to the civilian population essential =
to
the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized
governmental or relief agencies; and
(4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to =
ensure
the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of =
the
RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organization served. =
Such
drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With =
the
approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the applicable
State, Commonwealth, District, or territory, however, such tests and =
drills
may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice =
in
any calendar year.