Subpart A--General Provisions

FCC Part 97, as it applies to RACES operation:

§97.3 Definitions.

(a) The definitions of terms used in Part 97 are:

(37) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio service using amateur stations for civil defense

communications during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies.

§97.17 Application for new license grant.

(a) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for a new operator/ primary station, club station or military recreation station license

grant. No new license grant will be issued for a RACES station.

Subpart E--Providing Emergency Communications

§97.401 Operation during a disaster.

(a) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged, or disrupted because a disaster has occurred, or is likely

to occur, in an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, an amateur station may make transmissions necessary

to meet essential communication needs and facilitate relief actions.

(b) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged, or disrupted because a natural disaster has occurred, or is

likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service is not regulated by the FCC, a station assisting in meeting essential

communication needs and facilitating relief actions may do so only in accord with ITU Resolution No. 640 (Geneva, 1979).

The 80 m, 75 m, 40 m, 30 m, 20 m, 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 2 m bands may be used for these purposes.

communication emergency. The declaration will set forth any special conditions and special rules to be observed by stations

during the communication emergency. A request for a declaration of a temporary state of emergency should be directed to the

EIC in the area concerned.

(d) A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit emissions J3E and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz for

emergency communications. The channel must be shared with stations licensed in the Alaska-private fixed service. The

transmitter power must not exceed 150 W.

§97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.

No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to

provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of

property when normal communication systems are not available.

§97.405 Station in distress.

(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention,

make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance.

(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a), of

any means of radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.

§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 organization, 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 emissions authorized to the control operator are available to stations transmitting

communications 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. §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, 7.079-7.125

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 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.

(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 emergencies;

(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.