[RVRC] More EmComm Related Matters From the ARRL Board Meeting - About Committees, Red Cross and Part 97 Changes

[gar3j at earthlink.net]

Hello all,

Some ARRL EMCOMM related information, from the NNJ ARES group - 73 de N2DV

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More information from the recent (last week) ARRL Board Meeting, relating to EmComm matters, from the ARRL Website:

"The Board concentrated much of its deliberations on Emergency Communications at this meeting:

After the Board considered, but ultimately declined to adopt a motion to establish an Emergency Communications Advisory Committee last July, such a committee was approved at the 2010 Annual Meeting. 

The Board approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American Red Cross (ARC). The ARC has agreed to permit ARES® volunteers to meet its requirement for a criminal background check by obtaining such a check, at their own expense, through a law enforcement entity rather than through the ARC process. ARRL members will be given information to permit them to make a fully informed decision with regard to volunteering with ARC. 

The Board instructed the ARRL staff to seek a change in Section 97.113(a)(3) of the FCC rules to permit amateurs, on behalf of an employer, to participate in emergency preparedness and disaster drills that include Amateur operations.  "


 The full story is available online at:: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/01/19/11294/?nc=1