FCC to Host First Responders Summit

Only when they pry the soldering gun from my cold, dead hand...

But seriously, Amateur Radio operators are NOT first responders, and should never, ever think of themselves that way.
Even if an Amateur Radio Operator is the first on the scene, he/she is NOT a first responder! Unless he/she has OTHER qualifications besides Amateur Radio (such as EMT, Fire, or Law Enforcement) the Amateur is merely a bystander until asked for assistance by the trained REAL first responders. Otherwise, they will merely get in the way and only contribute to the problems of the trained personnel.

 

Just a comment. John or Jane Doe (your average citizen) doesn't think of a cell phone (or even a basic cordless phone) as a "two way radio," capable of being heard by anyone else. They think it has the same privacy as their wired 'phone line at home, and the cell phone companies sure aren't about to tell them otherwise!
And while a law MAY exist against the practice, there are plenty of ways to eavesdrop, until the cell phone companies employ some sort of encryption... but of course, the encryption will have to be able to be broken by the NSA, which means hackers will be able to break into an "encrypted" system also.
Laws keep honest people honest. They merely inconvenience those that are dishonest.

 

"And while a law MAY exist against the practice, there are plenty of ways to eavesdrop, until the cell phone companies employ some sort of encryption... "

Hypothetically, how could you "eavesdrop" on a TDMA or CDMA (digitally modulated) signal?  800 Mhz analog systems are all but gone. I am not aware of any commercially available receiver capable of demodulating CDMA or TDMA signals, are you?  Even the IC-9500 only does P25, not TDMA or CDMA. What, hypothetically, would you use?

 

Impeach, remove, disgrace, and INCARCERATE, the nazi bu$h. Then investigate ALL RAPEublican dirty tricks for the l;ast forty years. Then pass a constitutional BAN on the RAPEublican party and prohibit ALL RAPEublicans from EVER holding public office based on their involvement in the conspiracy. The fools are making America look like a bunch of jackasses worldwide. if you are going to fight a war, at least be prepared to care PROPERLY for the wounded troops.

 

Angry Intollerant Liberals (AILs) seek to shred the consitiution install themselves as supreme rulers over your life. And if you DARE to disagree, you are "BANNED" - or worse.

Remember when Germany and Russia went that way? We all know how that turned out.

And they wonder why people just shake their heads. Such intollerance is truly frightening.

 

You are the angry one. Look at your RAPEublican hate posts about no coders. Actually, the MAFIA would do a cleaner job of running our government. HIGH TREASON DOES MAKE ME ANGRY. As for issues liike gun control, I'd rather reason with Hillary and Chuck Schumer than deal with nazis like Scalia and Roberts. Look at the so called "patriot" act. That nazi law gives the RAPEublicans the powers to crush dissent and the idiots who listen to or watch American based Anna Nicole media (to say nothing about Rush and Fox) don't have a clue. Thank God for BBC world and shortwave. BTW, the ONLY people who are shaking their heads are the 15% of fools who think bu$h doesn't belong in SUPERMAX.

 

I fear that your agenda may be accurate, because a large part of the agenda is being driven by large telecom companies (NEXTEL is the primary) that are trying to sell a "let us provide your interoperability" bill of goods.

Some people with Katrina experience SHOULD be there to tell the conference that ZERO of the wireless networks were working after Katrina, and that most were out for at least ten days EXCEPT in the relatively lightly HURRICANE damaged New Orleans area. (Most damage in NO was POST-hurricane water damage.)

Amateur radio SHOULD have a large place at the table, because most of the state government to/from local government communications in Louisiana was run on amateur frequencies. We even had FEMA on our nets, once the idiot governor finally allowed a federal response. (I am speaking from on-site, first-hand, disaster relief communicator, HF and VHF net participant knowledge.)

I would also point out that most RACES groups are included in their city/county emergency plans as First Responders, and that many of us have actually responded to incidents PRIOR to the arrival of police, fire, and/or EMS.

I have also had to call for an ambulance at the request of a police officer. His city had been hit, and he had no radio or cell phone communication. Because of our good reputation, he knew to flag down the guy with the ham tags and EM decal to get help. I did a "double break" (which means "I have emergency traffic") on the RACES net and asked the Dallas EOC to send an ambulance under Mutual Aid.

Finally, the radio equipment manufacturers are attempting to fleece our pockets AGAIN. (Selling a low-wattage, low range $200 cellular telephone with push-to-talk as a $3,000 "800 MHz Public Safety Radio" was the GREAT taxpayer fleece.) Interoperability does NOT require new technology. In point of fact, new RF technology will most likely DESTROY interoperability -- and IP-based "solutions" require that the IP infrastructure both EXISTS and remains intact. You will NOT find that in about 25% of the country. You will also not find cellular telephone service in the same percentage.

All of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana (and I am told -- but have not confirmed, New Mexico) already HAVE full fire department interoperability across ALL cities and counties

 

Rather obviously, you have never spoken with those who serve under this Commander-in-Chief. Over 95% of those in the military voted for him, and the vast majority of those would so again. (Which explains why Gore's people tried to block the counting of military absentee ballots in key states....)

Just to clarify the obvious misunderstanding, in the United States of America, all laws are passed by the Legislative branch. The President (Executive branch) may only sign or veto what has been passed by the House and Senate.

 

RACES operators are First Responders when so designated by their city, town, county, or parish. That is the norm, not the exception.

 

First of all, most RACES members have taken at least 3 if the FEMA ICS courses.

Importantly, however, only the "core team" that actually work in the EOC and/or in the Command Post(s) actually need to understand critical aspects of the full EOC and/or CP organization (which will invariably differ from EOC to EOC, but less so from CP to CP). The "core team" of the RACES group gets the same pager notification at EOC activation / impending activation / "heads up" to possible activation that is received by a city management type or critical employee. Those assigned to EOC duty respond. The assigned Net Control Station and alternates activate the net, put out a "pre-net announcement", and/or activate an alert tone on the repeaters (as appropriate).

TRAINING and ORGANIZATION prevents confusion.

 

I never ceases to amaze me that "Liberals" always think they know what is best for everyone else, but when the rest of the country disagrees, they try to pass a law to "protect" us from ourselves -- and to remove some of our rights in the process. (Sheeeeesh ! What part of "the RIGHT to keep and bear arms" is difficult to understand ?) Then, they get angry when we disapprove and kill the proposed law....

Now, our institutions of "higher learning" are actively purging anyone who does NOT support the "liberal" line. Many long-standing professors have been either removed or refused tenure because they would not go along with the "liberal" agenda -- including some with quite (truly) liberal views, but to whom ethics and academic freedom transcend politics.

Today's "liberals" would embarrass the very people from whom they claim to derive their lineage. Jefferson supported the RIGHT to open and CIVILIZED discussion. He would be horrified that his good name is associated with those who seek to subvert TRUE academic freedom for "academic sameness" in the guise of "academic freedom".

The only truly ignorant person is the one who cannot see that those with differing opinions offer a far greater opportunity for learning -- and growing in one's beliefs -- than do those who share the same opinion. As a very well-known and highly successful businessman once observed (paraphrased, not directly quoted): "If a man who works for me always agrees with me, one of us is redundant.".

 

But it is, beyond any reasonable argument. Are the average citizens really that ignorant? I would like to think not!

 

It's not difficult to understand. The Democrats and other liberals simply do not want the PEOPLE to have that much control over their own lives, and so pretend to think it means what it clearly does not (such as "it means National Guard" when the NG came over 100 years LATER).

 

"That nazi law [Patriot Act] gives the RAPEublicans the powers to crush dissent....."

HUH?
The Patriot Act grants no such power. However, "political correctness", a purely liberal invention, had routinely (up till recently)  provided a basis for liberals to silence and censor anybody and everything that liberals didn't like.

Angry Intollerant Liberals (AILs) are beside themselves because they no longer control ALL broadcast media. FOX & Limbaugh DARE to disagree with ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, PBS & MSNBC, so liberals can no longer silence ALL dissent with "political correctness".  "Political correctness" doesn't work any more. But fear not! AILs have a new tactic....they call people and things they don't like "NAZZIS".



And AILs wonder why 85% of people shake their heads.