The W6YN
Opinion Page

I am always troubled by the term "ARES/RACES." That statement may bother you, because the term "ARES/RACES" is used so often on the local repeaters that it must be OK! Well, it's not OK! Let me explain why.

ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, is part of the Amateur Service and subject to all its regulations and privileges. Because it has no statutory status, in the event of suspension of amateur operations, ARES must shut down. RACES was founded in 1952, to cover for any time of suspension. Since that time we have had two major wars and many smaller ones. Never, since WW II, has amateur operations been suspended. This has been due to radical changes in warfare technology. A wartime suspension of amateur operations is very improbable, considering contemporary thinking.

In 1990 the wartime requirement was eliminated. (Chapter II of 47 CFR was changed on December 11, 1990. This deals with the National Security Council and eliminated the provision requiring closing of all amateur radio stations upon a war or national emergency proclamation by the president.) If the president declares a national emergency, amateurs are obligated to observe whatever orders the FCC may issue in the interest of national security. They are not obligated to suspend operations, without an FCC order to do so.

RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, originally had its own section of the FCC Rules; now it is incorporated in Subpart E of the amateur rules. The early RACES rules were rife with opportunities for abuse. All across America local governments were using civil defense money to by ham equipment, and had their employees use amateur frequencies for government business. It was perfectly legal under the old rules. RACES drills went on 24 hours a day. Some police agencies had their back-up operations entirely set up on the amateur bands. You did not have to be a licensed amateur to be a RACES radio officer, or a RACES operator, for that matter. Call signs were replaced by "tactical calls," further separating the service from amateur radio. The use of "tactical calls" are allowed under the present rules but amateur call signs must be used in the normal manner, even during a RACES activation.

The 1970s brought an end to the abuses. At the urging of many concerned amateurs, the FCC commissioned the Rand Corporation of Santa Monica to study the problem and recommend changes in the RACES FCC rules. Your humble servant was one of the consultants to the Rand Corporation study. The result was the rules changes that we live with today. Essentially what was done was to make RACES rules so restrictive that they are only usable for their intended purpose — that is, to support local civil defense organizations with bona fide civil defense messages.

RACES is a separate regulated service sharing spectrum space with the Amateur Service. RACES cannot be activated to perform non-emergency public service activities. Such community service may be performed by any amateurs or organized groups, such as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).

RACES uses amateurs for civil defense communications during local, regional or national civil emergencies. To participate the amateur operator must be enrolled as a member of a local civil defense agency.

Races operation is authorized only by the appropriate local, state, or federal official, and is strictly limited to official civil defense activities in an emergency communications situation.

Operation in RACES is highly regulated. Amateur stations operating in RACES must be registered with a specific civil defense organization, and may only communicate with other stations registered with the same body, unless specifically authorized to communicate with other RACES stations. No stations operating in RACES may communicate with a station that is not operating in RACES except, when authorized, another US Government station, or an FCC licensed station in another service.

The types of communications permitted are similarly restricted. Aside from drills, communications in RACES may consist only of civil defense messages concerning:

1. Public safety or national defense during times of local, regional, or national emergencies;
2. Immediate safety of life or property, the maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;
3. The accumulation of and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population as required by the civil defense organization or other government agencies or relief agencies.

RACES drills must be authorized by the responsible civil defense official, and may not exceed a total time of one hour per week. With approval of the chief emergency planning officer at the district or territory level, drills of up to 72 hours duration may be conducted no more than twice a year.

Because of the limitations on drills, many RACES operations work with the ARES organization to train for disasters. Where RACES cannot act in non-emergency situations to provide public service communications, ARES can. The two operations can and should complement each other, but be aware that they are very different animals.

As you can see, it only makes sense to have the local emergency communications effort organized as an amateur radio — or ARES — organization, with members also signed up as disaster service workers to perform as RACES, in the unlikely event it should be necessary. This is the way it is done in Ventura County and it seems to work very well. Santa Barbara area ARES is similar in organizational structure and is nationally known for its effectiveness. You can't even find the letters R.A.C.E.S. in their literature.

In some jurisdictions, political and/or bureaucratic interests still have a hold on directing the emergency capabilities of ham radio operators. They (the bureaucrats) have gone so far as to form private organizations in an effort to circumvent the restrictions placed in the current RACES rules to prevent such miss-use of amateur resources. Many amateurs have unknowingly applied for membership in these organizations thinking they are going to serve the community, but will most likely serve the interest of the politico or the bureaucrat instead.

If you have any questions about how you can help serve your community, contact your ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) listed on your Section ARRL Web site or contact your Section Manager list on page 16 of QST.

While it's on my mind, if you don't receive QST, I urge you to support ARRL with your membership. It is the only national organization we have that will work to preserve Amateur Radio for you and me. I always have applications at the club meetings and will be happy to help you apply for membership — no matter how mean I look!