EmComm Trouble From the FCC
There has been quite a ruckus about the FCC and Part 97.113 concerning emergency communications but I have been taking a wait and see attitude about it. These FCC Rules say: No amateur station shall transmit communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer.
The question on the table is whether this prohibition strictly applies to employees of a public safety organization. For example, is it a violation of the rules for a firefighter or hospital employee to use ham radio as part of a emergency communications practice exercise? Apparently, the answer is yes.
Read this posting on the N5FDL Blog for more details, including some correspondence with the FCC. The ARRL offered this explanation in the September issue of QST. This article reports that W0WLS is withdrawing from ham radio emcomm work after getting a letter from the FCC’s Laura Smith.
The K3NG Report says that The FCC is Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater. I agree.
If you are involved with emergency communciations, you should make sure you understand this latest development.
73, Bob K0NR
