‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM DECEMBER 2005 QST  PAGES 67, 68 AND 97  ‰

LIMITED FEDERAL PREEMPTION, WHICH NOW APPLIES ONLY TO STATES AND
MUNICIPALITIES.  ARRL PRESIDENT JIM HAYNIE, W5JBP, HAS ENCOURAGED LEAGUE
MEMBERS TO WRITE THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE AND ASK THAT THEY COSPONSOR
AND SUPPORT THE BILL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN T
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60 2,952 IL Milton ARC W4VIY 724 2 20 2,932 NFL Southern Pennsylvania

HAPPENINGS ARRL COO TESTIFIES ON CAPITOL HILL TO AMATEUR RADIOS VALUE IN
DISASTERS  ARRL CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HAROLD KRAMER, WJ1B, TESTIFIED ON
BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE SEPTEMBER 29 BEFORE THE US HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE INTERNET.  ADDRESSING THE HEARING TOPIC, PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS FROM 9/11 TO KATRINA CRITICAL PUBLIC POLICY LESSONS,
KRAMER ECHOED AND AMPLIFIED COMMENTS ARRL PRESIDENT JIM HAYNIE, W5JBP,
DELIVERED EARLIER IN THE MONTH TO THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE SEE
NOV QST, P 49.  AS DID HAYNIES REMARKS, KRAMER TESTIFIED ON THE SUCCESSFUL
EFFORTS OF AMATEUR RADIO VOLUNTEERS WHO SUPPORTED RELIEF OPERATIONS
FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA.  AMATEUR RADIO WAS UNIQUELY SUITED TO THIS
TASK BY VIRTUE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF HF COMMUNICATIONS COVERING LONG
DISTANCES WITHOUT FIXED INFRASTRUCTURE, KRAMER POINTED OUT IN HIS
TESTIMONY.  THOUSANDS MORE RADIO AMATEURS OUTSIDE THE AFFECTED AREA
MONITORED RADIO TRAFFIC AND RELAYED HEALTH AND WELFARE MESSAGES, HE SAID.
KRAMER NOTED THE INCREASED DISCUSSION IN RECENT YEARS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY
INTEROPERABILITY.  THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE PROVIDES A GOOD DEAL OF
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N2TY 880 2 22 3,752 ENY Eau Claire ARC W9EAU 1013 2 15 3,726 WI Fort Wayne
RC W9TE KB9WWM 900 2 42 3,672 IN K5PRK AD5NR 853 2 42 3,600 NTX Alliance
ARC W8LKY 767 2 12 3,554 OH N9EE Repeater Group N9EE 1123 2 25 3,526 WCF
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INTEROPERABILITY COMMUNICATIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN DISASTER RELIEF
INCIDENTS, HE TOLD THE SUBCOMMITTEE.  HE SAID HAM RADIO IS ABLE TO FILL
THIS CRUCIAL ROLE BECAUSE EVEN THE INTEROPERABILITY CHANNELS THAT EXIST IN
MOST PUBLIC SAFETY ALLOCATIONS ARE USELESS WHEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE GOES DOWN.  INTEROPERABILITY, IN SHORT,
PRESUMES OPERABILITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, KRAMER SAID.  WHILE SOME
HARDENING OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES IS CALLED FOR, THERE IS IN OUR VIEW
AN INCREASING ROLE FOR DECENTRALIZED, PORTABLE AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS WHICH
ARE NOT INFRASTRUCTURE DEPENDENT IN PROVIDING INTEROPERABILITY
COMMUNICATION ON SITE.  KRAMER TOLD SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN FRED UPTON AND
HIS HOUSE COLLEAGUES THAT AMATEUR RADIO IS LARGELY INVISIBLE TO BOTH THE
FCC AND TO CONGRESS ON A DAILY BASIS, BECAUSE IT IS VIRTUALLY SELF
REGULATING AND SELF ADMINISTERED, HE SAID.  IT IS ONLY DURING EMERGENCIES
THAT THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE IS IN THE SPOTLIGHT.  ALSO TESTIFYING AT THE
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Brazos Valley ARC KK5W W5DPA 747 2 34 3,436 STX Radio Association of Erie
W3GV 831 2 25 3,212 WPA Mid Atlantic ARC W3NWA 808 2 22 3,144 EPA North
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