[QCWA] All Glitter, No Substance NationalSOS.com Plan is Dangerous

[Tim WB4BAH]

All Glitter, No Substance NationalSOS.com Plan is Dangerous
Personal Radio Association Warns the Public against the NationalSOS.com 
“Disaster” Plan
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/5/emw382228.htm

Huntingtown, MD (PRWEB) May 7, 2006 -- The Board of Directors of the 
Personal Radio Association today reaffirmed that it does not support the 
NationalSOS.com Public Emergency Network proposal announced May 4th by 
NationalSOS.com in its current form. “We warned NationalSOS.com 
regarding the lack of merit of their proposal, in particular, the lack 
of public planning and public education,” said Doug Smith, President of 
the Personal Radio Association or PRA.

Smith said, “NationalSOS.com created a great sense of urgency for us 
because the idea, while having some sales pizzazz, lacked the essential 
elements of good disaster planning. When we contacted NationalSOS.com we 
even provided specific ways we thought using FRS or GMRS communications 
could succeed. The idea is based entirely on an emotional gut-wrenching 
reaction to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.”

It is the opinion of the Personal Radio Association Board of Directors 
that the NationalSOS.com plan places the public at extreme risk. 
Responsible public disaster agencies in many areas, including CERT 
teams, are now properly training the public to use the Family Radio 
Service and General Mobile Radio Service in disaster preparedness 
programs. The Board believes CERT deserves widespread support. 
NationalSOS.com does not.

“The PRA Board of Directors believes the public will only benefit when 
expectations are set and plans are made. Neighborhoods must clearly 
understand their role and procedures need to be followed,” said Smith.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency created a program called 
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT.) CERT is a grass-root, very 
local, and planned effort to organize neighbors to help neighbors in 
time of disaster. Amateur Radio Service volunteers and GMRS licensees 
are involved. Trained CERT neighbors help their neighbors when police, 
fire, and medical resources are not immediately available after a 
disaster. “The NationalSOS program is an unnecessary duplication and a 
disorganized version of that effort,” said Smith.

NationalSOS.com expects to use Family Radio Channel 1 (also known as 
GMRS interstitial 1, 462.5625 MHz). Many recently manufactured 
bubble-pack GMRS/FRS hybrid radios, are capable of a transmit power in 
excess of that allowed license-free in the Family Radio Service on FRS 1 
through 7. An FCC GMRS license is required to use the higher-powered 
bubble-pack radios capable of power levels over one-half watt. This 
license requirement was apparently overlooked by NationalSOS.com.

The Personal Radio Association Board of Directors believes that CERT and 
the various Offices of Emergency management quite capable of organizing 
very-local communications programs within FCC licensing requirements. 
Local disaster planners and CERT organizers are the best way to organize 
neighborhoods and train the users of two-way radios.

FCC Rules and Regulations forbid Amateur Radio operators from using 
modified Amateur Radio equipment outside of the Amateur Service 
frequency bands. Unfortunately, the NationalSOS.com plan does not 
include mobilization of the current 76,000 GMRS licensees who do own 
equipment legal for use on GMRS and shared FRS frequencies.

“The Board’s biggest fear is that someone s going to buy an FRS or GMRS 
radio, ignore disaster evacuation instructions, and broadcast a plea for 
help but no one is going to hear their cry for help. It won’t just 
miraculously happen unless each neighborhood is prepared,” said Smith.

Founded in February of 2005, the Personal Radio Association is a 
mutual-interest membership organization of Federal Communications 
Commission General Mobile Radio Service licensees and individuals using 
other FCC allocated radio services authorized by rule, such as the 
Family Radio Service.

The PRA's mission is to fairly and accurately represent both member and 
public interests in these radio services before government regulatory 
agencies, the various representatives of the radio manufacturing and 
sales industries, public or private organizations, and the 
public-at-large. The PRA is the first national organization in the 
United States ever formed to take on this role.

The PRA through education, technical leadership, and charitable intent 
desires to protect and preserve the growth, proper use, technical 
development, Federal regulation, and continued usability and 
effectiveness of each radio service.

Recognizing that many GMRS licensees also use their two-way radio 
knowledge and systems for the public welfare in time of need, the PRA 
supports member families sharing their systems for this purpose.