FCC Seeks Comments on Katrina Panel Recommendations

[Pete, WA2CWA]

From the ARRL web site:
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 20, 2006--The FCC will invite public comments in response to recommendations presented this month by the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks. A Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in EB Docket 06-119, released this week, contains wide-ranging proposals and considerations that could involve FCC rule or administrative changes, a few of which deal with the Amateur Service.

For the rest of the story, go here:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/06/20/5/?nc=1

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
EB Docket No. 06-119
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-83A1.pdf

[WA3VJB]

The FCC's request for Comment has come just days from the ARRL's biggest emergency preparedness event, Field Day.

The Amateur Service is not mentioned anywhere in the FCC's summary of the independent panel.

Moreover, radio hobbyists, regardless of how well-intentioned they are, would probably lose opportunities to continue to help in major disruptions. Examples follow as to why.

The FCC seeks comments on a recommendation to "develop national credentialing requirements and guidelines to enable communications infrastructure providers and their contracted workers to access affected areas."

Do you think a ham badge would cut it in that scenario ?

[W3SLK]

Paul said:

The FCC's request for Comment has come just days from the ARRL's biggest emergency preparedness event, Field Day.

The Amateur Service is not mentioned anywhere in the FCC's summary of the independent panel.

Moreover, radio hobbyists, regardless of how well-intentioned they are, would probably lose opportunities to continue to help in major disruptions. Examples follow as to why.

The FCC seeks comments on a recommendation to "develop national credentialing requirements and guidelines to enable communications infrastructure providers and their contracted workers to access affected areas."

Do you think a ham badge would cut it in that scenario ?

No way Jose'.
So in that respect, the ARRgghhL is trying to toot a horn that isn't even there.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Maybe the real point here is the FCC's high regard for Amateur Radio.

The Independent Panel's Report did provide an amateur radio review of activities:

"The Independent Panel's report points out that Amateur Radio stations were among those segments of the communications infrastructure adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. It also praised the efforts of radio amateurs.

"Equipment was damaged or lost due to the storm, and trained amateurs were difficult to find in the immediate aftermath," the report said. "However, once called into help, Amateur Radio operators volunteered to support many agencies, such as FEMA, the National Weather Service, Hurricane Watch [Net] and the American Red Cross."

The Independent Panel pointed out that Amateur Radio volunteers provided communication in many locations where no other means of communicating existed. Hams also provided other technical aid to communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, the panel's report said."

[w3jn]

ANd the ARRL never bothered to list any new frequencies, a call to arms, etc. on their website.

I checked.

[WA3VJB]

Pete, would you call to my attention anything in the FCC's summary request for Comments that mentions the Amateur Service by name ?

I may have missed it, especially if it wasn't in big type.

You might also read the report itself, rather than the ARRL's limited version of it.

Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Various Types of Communications Networks

(sections 1-10, eight pages)

And then --

11. Amateur Radio Service.
( it is the last entry, one paragraph, four sentences.)

And even that minor entry relies in part on a statement submitted to the panel by Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, the ARRL's volunteer representative for Alabama. He is hardly an authoritative source of information about amateur emergency status, given most of the action was in Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Newington's lack of participation overall.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

ANd the ARRL never bothered to list any new frequencies, a call to arms, etc. on their website.
I checked.

And that’s probably a good thing. Would you really want to publish all emergency frequencies that are actively involved in “emergency type activities” to the general amateur population? Plus, it’s not clear to me how much “emergency type amateur communications” was done on HF verses VHF type frequencies. Keeping the “emergency used frequencies” on a “need to know” basis, with the amateurs involved, probably helped keep the extraneous chatter down.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete, would you call to my attention anything in the FCC's summary request for Comments that mentions the Amateur Service by name ?

I may have missed it, especially if it wasn't in big type.

You might also read the report itself, rather than the ARRL's limited version of it.

Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Various Types of Communications Networks

(sections 1-10, eight pages)

And then --

11. Amateur Radio Service.
( it is the last entry, one paragraph, four sentences.)

And even that minor entry relies in part on a statement submitted to the panel by Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, the ARRL's volunteer representative for Alabama. He is hardly an authoritative source of information about amateur emergency status, given most of the action was in Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Newington's lack of participation overall.

There wasn’t anything in the FCC NPRM that specifically mentioned Amateur Radio. Hence, my statement, “Maybe the real point here is the FCC's high regard for Amateur Radio”.

I have read the entire report, “Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks,
Report and Recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission”, dated June 12, 2006.

It’s silly to debate these same issues with you again. We went through your P&M’s about your claims of ARRL’s  “lack of response” and  “lack of participation” six months ago. In my opinion, the ARRL “bug up the rear” is getting tiring and serves no purpose here.

[w3jn]

ANd the ARRL never bothered to list any new frequencies, a call to arms, etc. on their website.
I checked.

And that’s probably a good thing. Would you really want to publish all emergency frequencies that are actively involved in “emergency type activities” to the general amateur population?

Yes!  If you want help, why keep it a frigging secret?  Anyone can find out by tuning around enough, but why go thru the bother?  A friend who lives in suburban NO was volunteering at a local shelter; when they filled up she had no idea where to send people.  She posted this on another board I'm a member of; I in turn spent a good hour and a half tuning around trying to find an emergency net.  I finally found one on 40 meters, got the info, and passed it to her on the internet.

Ham radio could have been extraordinarily useful in this situation.  But nobody at the naitonal level of the ARRL, AFAIK, took charge or, at the VERY LEAST, attempted to compile information and pass it out.

Plus, it’s not clear to me how much “emergency type amateur communications” was done on HF verses VHF type frequencies. Keeping the “emergency used frequencies” on a “need to know” basis, with the amateurs involved, probably helped keep the extraneous chatter down.

THe opposing viewpoint would be that because the net frequencies were top/secret, regular hammy hambones were yapping away on or near net frequencies not knowing they were causing interference.

The ARRL appeared to have the same "deer in the headlights" response that FEMA did.  Or so it seems to me.

[WA3VJB]

Alright Pete, I can understand why you would want to avoid re-opening a discussion of the League's performance in Katrina but that wasn't my question, so rest easy.

Let's discuss this -- where in this NPRM does the FCC hold the Amateur Service in high regard? By accepting the report's brief mention of us without commenting?

Gee, in that case, the FCC holds in high regard the emergency value of the Family Radio Service, the Multi Use Radio Service, and Citizens Band, since they also were not mentioned in the Commission's request for Comments.

[KB2WIG]

ANd the ARRL never bothered to list any new frequencies, a call to arms, etc. on their website.
I checked.

And that’s probably a good thing. Would you really want to publish all emergency frequencies that are actively involved in “emergency type activities” to the general amateur population? Plus, it’s not clear to me how much “emergency type amateur communications” was done on HF verses VHF type frequencies. Keeping the “emergency used frequencies” on a “need to know” basis, with the amateurs involved, probably helped keep the extraneous chatter down.

 Lets be sure I've got this....  The general amatuer radio population helps out in emergency situations by not doing anything , and by not participating.... OK... Lets also get rid of the stuff on page 80, June QST; the Public Service area, as this is also extraneous chatter..    klc

[Pete, WA2CWA]

From the ARRL Web Site, dated July 11, 2006:

Comments are due Monday, August 7, in response to an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) regarding recommendations of the independent panel that reviewed Hurricane Katrina's impact on communication systems (EB Docket 06-119). Reply comments are due by Monday, August 21.

Notice of Proposed Rule Making
EB Docket No. 06-119