Did Harvey prompt emergency HAM usage?

[swatpup102]

I am curious if Harvey called for people to use HAM bands for emergency usage even if not licensed, and if there were any actual examples of this happening. I know lots of people have purchased the Baofeng radios that don't have their ticket, and I assume some of those people are in Texas. Would this constitute a time to use them and coordinate a response between civilian and first responder groups?

 

[OhSixTJ]

Apparently not. A mayor of a town near rockport asked for not so many volunteers to go because they had "no way of coordinating the help". I tweeted that out to arrl-ares but didn't get a reply.

Whoops, read it wrong. Still gonna leave this up for grins.

In extreme emergencies with no other way to communicate, off-band, unlicensed contacts can be made.


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[N4GIX]

I am curious if Harvey called for people to use HAM bands for emergency usage even if not licensed, and if there were any actual examples of this happening.

Under no circumstances are unlicensed folks permitted to use amateur frequencies. The last thing needed is radio chaos. :roll:

 

[swatpup102]

Under no circumstances are unlicensed folks permitted to use amateur frequencies. The last thing needed is radio chaos. :roll:

This is not true.

In an emergency, licensed bands may be used by an unlicensed operator per the FCC part 97.

 

[cortchubby]

under NO circumstance?

Exigent and Immediate Life threatening EMERGENCY situations are exempt from that "rule"

Or, by your statement, you could be laying in the woods just having been shot several times,bleeding out with your "HT" in your hand with NO OTHER WAY OF COMMUNICATIONS AVAILABLE and will die if I dont
"break a rule" and/or cause "chaos" and operate your radio to get you help.

Guess Ill have to let you lay there and bleed out since that rule exists.


I seem to recall on several bands that "non licensed" people got on bands to call for emergency help either for themselves or others. Police,Civilian or others.

But Id never do that since I would not want to interrupt long winded conversations about antennas or "conditions" for something as silly as oh lets say a high velocity water flow heading towards a childrens hospital or something.

 

[cortchubby]

You are correct. IMMEDIATE IMMINENT LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY SCENARIO IS EXEMPT. The ONLY Caveat is that you DECLARE the WORD Emergency to CYA on the communication.(Example, XXXX on Zone 2...EMERGENCY, I have an officer shot at my location send an ambulance.....)While that will ruffle feathers it IS legal to do that. So long as the CALLER has a reasonable belief that life will be lost if the communication is NOT made,then the criteria has been met.

What this event SHOULD prompt is better multi agency coordination with HAM and Public Safety agencies.

 

[cortchubby]

Remember Kevin, God Himself will strike lightning and fire down upon your Baofeng if you DARE interrupt a 10 member rag chew about the subtle nuances of adding vanilla to generic store bought coffee at the dollar store. In the 24 YEARS I had a "fully armed and loaded" ISPERN radio in my car, it was used to TRANSMIT twice. Both times there was either an officer or trooper laying on the ground infront of me. Both times were EXEMPT. And the one time I did breach the HOLY HAM band, the Romeoville Refinery had just exploded and the first fireball was just dissipating. As for Chaos on the band, have you ever heard a CFMC UHF net? Just sayin................

 

[AI7PM]

Standby for "What if", and assorted expert comment. Where'd I leave that popcorn?

 

[mikewazowski]

Standby for "What if", and assorted expert comment. Where'd I leave that popcorn?

No need to grab the popcorn, this thread is going to be closed since this subject had been debated ad nauseam in the past with no real verdict.