Amateur Radio
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Page last revised May 24, 2004 |
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| ARES/RACES — oh really? |
I see the term ARES/RACES repeated time after time by people who should know better, as well as people who probably do know better. The latter group apparently just doesn't want to take the time to help the poor souls who just want some way to serve their fellow man and talk on amateur radio at the same time.
The object of this page is to present the information taken directly from the FCC rules and present it in a manner that should help any amateur understand the difference between the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).
The first thing you will notice is you may become a member of ARES but you only register with the civil defense organization that utilizes the RACES rules for its communications needs. In other words there is no provision for you to join RACES! RACES is a service that a Civil Defense (CD) organization uses, just as the Family Radio Service (FRS) is a service your family may use on vacation trips. You use it; you don't join it! In the case of RACES you register your station, and enroll yourself as a civil defense worker with a civil defense organization. I repeat. You do not become a RACES member nor do you join RACES. It is a service authorized by the FCC rules, not an organization!
In case you find these facts are not what you were made to believe are the RACES rules, you can check for yourself. All of the RACES rules are included in just one section of the FCC Amateur Rules, section 97.407. That`s it. That's all there is. RACES is nothing more than what you see printed here.
It should be pointed out, however, that all of the amateur rules (Part 97) are RACES rules and the sub-section printed below, generally referred to as the RACES rules, actually are a list of restrictions and limitations placed on amateurs operating in RACES.
| Part 97.407 Radio amateur civil emergency service. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed primary, club, or military recreation station and it is certified by a civil defense organization as registered with that station or it is an FCC-licensed RACES station. No person may be the control operator of a RACES station, or may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that organization. (b) The frequency bands and segments and emission authorized to the control operator are available to stations transmitting communication in RACES on a shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates the invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Part 606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the following frequencies: (1) The 1800-1825 kHz, 1975-2000 kHz, | 3.50-3.55 MHz, 3.93-3.98 MHz, 3.984-4.000 MHz, 7.0779-7.125 MHz, 7.245-7.255 MHz, 10.10-10.15 MHz, 14.047-14.053 MHz, 14.22-14.23 MHz, 14.331-14.350 MHz, 21.047-21.053 MHz, 21.228-21.267 MHz, 28.55-28.75 MHz, 29.237-29.273 MHz, 29.45-29.65 MHz, 50.35-50.75 MHz, 52-54 MHz, 144.50-145.71 MHz, 146-148 MHz, 2390-2450 MHz segments; (2) The 1.25 m, 70 cm and 23 cm bands; and (3) The channels at 3.997 MHz and 53.30 MHz may be used in emergency areas when required to make initial contact with a military unit and for communications with military stations on matters requiring coordination. (c) A RACES station may only communicate with: (1) Another RACES station; (2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization; (3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; (4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC. | (d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only communicate with: (1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with which the amateur station is registered; (2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is registered: (i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization; (ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense organization; (iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; and (iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC.(e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil defense communications of the following types may be transmitted: (1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the | national defense or security during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergences; (2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage; (3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population essential to the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and (4)Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organization served. Such drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory, However, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year. |
| That's all there is; there is no more! | |||
Of course, there is nothing to stop a bureaucrat employed by some governmental agency from creating an organization and calling it RACES. This organization will have no standing as far as the FCC rules are concerned, but the Civil Defense organization may operate under RACES rules. Remember, RACES is a service authorized by the FCC, not an organization! ARES, however, is an organization! You may join and be a member of ARES.
A summary of the FCC RACES rules are printed in the left column below. Amateur, or ARES information is printed on the right column.
| RACES | ARES, or other amateur organization |
|---|---|
| Operator | |
| Any class of amateur must be certified as enrolled in a civil defense organization, usually as a "Disaster Worker." | Membership, any licensed amateur radio operator. |
| If not a licensed RACES station, must be certified as registered with a civil defense organization. | Any amateur station. |
| Must be specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area served and other various limitations. | Any, as necessary. |
| Limited to one hour per week. Two 72 hour drills per year upon approval of planning chief. | Anytime, as long as desired. |
| All frequencies on a shared basis with amateur service by class of amateur license. Limited during war emergency. |
All amateur frequencies as permitted by class of license. As directed by FCC during war emergency. Any means necessary for immediate safety of life and property. |
Some of the larger civil defense organizations find the RACES rules too restrictive so they have formed their own versions of ARES. One example of this is the Los Angeles County civil defense organization. They formed the Disaster Communications Service (DCS). This creation allows an operation that is not hampered by the RACES rules and allows the flexibility needed by the large organization. This is a very well-run organization.
As you can see, there is no requirement that a CD organization utilize RACES. The organization can use ARES, or develop its own communications group that allows the flexibility needed. The only thing the CD organization must require is that each amateur enroll as a "Disaster Worker" and register his station. If necessary, for any unforeseen reason, the enrolled amateurs can immediately jump into the RACES mode at a moments notice, in the unlikely chance it should ever become necessary.
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