[Skywarn] Rules Regulations

[N4AOF]

What "rules" does your warning coordination meteorologist think apply?

Assuming that the net is on an amateur frequency and the participants 
actually transmitting are licensed amateur radio operators, I am not aware 
of any information that you cannot share.  The rules are Part 97 of the FCC 
Regulations (look up 47 CFR 97 to find them online).  SKYWARN is not 
mentioned anywhere in Part 97, so there are NO "rules and regulations" 
specifically for SKYWARN nets.

Let me point out that 97.407 would NOT apply unless you go out of your way 
to invoke it -- and even then, its applicability is doubtful.   Contrary to 
the opinion expressed by many well-meaning but ignorant people, amateur 
radio operators who join a group that calls itself "RACES" do not lose their 
regular amateur privileges.  As licensed amateurs, they can talk to any 
other appropriately licensed amateur about any topic not prohibited by 
97.113 or otherwise prohibited by law.  Even if you call your net a "RACES" 
net, it is actually operating under regular amateur rules unless the Amateur 
Radio Service has been shut down by the President of the United States under 
the War Powers Act (which has never happened since the act was passed, and 
has not happened under previous authority since WWII).

73 de N4AOF


-----Original Message----- 
From: J Wozniak
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 15:11 PM
To: skywarn at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Skywarn] Rules Regulations

As the Amateur Emergency Communications Coordinator for the St. Louis County 
EOC and the lead operator for St. Louis County SKYWARN severe weather net 
operations, I am looking for any and all "rules and regulations" concerning 
the operations of an established SKYWARN program for our county.  It seems 
that there is a discrepancy between our warning coordination 
meteorologistand St. Louis County Police EOC concerning what information we 
are allowed and not allowed to provide to our citizens during a severe 
weather event in addition to how we operate our SKYWARN severe weather (ham 
radio) nets.

I am sure that you are aware that St. Louis is a major transportation hub in 
the Midwest.  Because of this, we regularly have “truckers” and commuters 
that tune in to our severe weather nets requesting weather information for 
an adjoining county during times of severe weather.  We have gladly provided 
this information to those travelers as a courtesy, both in the past and 
present since they may not be in range of the next county’s repeater.  In 
addition to this we also provide the frequency of the next county’s SKYWARN 
severe weather net if it is needed.  (e.g., there is a severe thunderstorm 
warning for Jefferson County until 7pm; Jefferson County’s SKYWARN frequency 
is 146.XXX).  However we have been told by our warning coordination 
meteorologist that we can no longer provide weather information for other 
counties, and that we can only provide weather information for our county 
and no others.  This is very difficult to understand since
we also provide our severe weather net service for the City of St. Louis 
(they are a separate county entity) who does not have a SKYWARN severe 
weather net of their own.  Because of this “new rule” the City of St. Louis 
is now on their own.

Since the “9-11” incident in New York, the federal government has been 
promoting interoperability between various county governments and their 
departments.  Now our warning coordination meteorologist states that we are 
no longer to do this?  I do not understand.  Do any of the other 
coordinators in this group have any similar experiences?

Joe Wozniak, KDØEFW/WBØAAF
Amateur Emergency Communications Coordinator
St. Louis County Police Department
Division of Special Operations
Office of Emergency Management
14847 Ladue Bluffs Crossing Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63017
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