PART OF EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNITY
A section of the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) 2007 Appropriations Act, HR 5441,formally includes
Amateur Radio operators as a part of the emergency communications community.
Congress approved the measure before adjourning for its pre-election break.
President George W. Bush signed the bill into law October 4.
Amateur Radio is included within the legislation's Subtitle D,
Section 671, known as the "21st Century Emergency Communications
Act." Radio amateurs are among the entities with which a Regional
Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group (RECC Working Group) must
coordinate its activities. Included within the DHS's Office of Emergency
Communications -- which the measure also creates -- RECC Working Groups
attached to each regional DHS office will advise federal and state homeland
security officials. The final version of the legislation incorporated language
from both House and Senate bills and was hammered out in a conference
committee.
An earlier version of the 21st Century Emergency Communications
Act, HR 5852, included Amateur Radio operators as members of the RECC Working
Groups.
In addition to Amateur Radio operators, RECC Working Groups also
will coordinate with communications equipment manufacturers and vendors --
including broadband data service providers, local exchange carriers, local
broadcast media, wireless carriers, satellite communications services, cable
operators, hospitals, public utility services, emergency evacuation transit
services, ambulance services, and representatives from other private sector
entities and nongovernmental organizations.
The RECC Working Groups will assess the survivability,
sustainability and interoperability of local emergency communication systems to
meet the goals of the National Emergency Communications Report. That report
would recommend how the US could "accelerate the deployment of
interoperable emergency communications nationwide." They also will
coordinate the establishment of "effective multi-jurisdictional,
multi-agency emergency communications networks" that could be brought into
play in an emergency or disaster.
In light of the new legislation, the ARRL plans to follow up to determine how it can interact with the DHS and its Office of Emergency Communications.