First responders

[fire29]

Hi all,

Do first responders need a FCC license for a ham radio to transmit. So if i wanted to call dispatch or another fireman would that be illegal?


Thank you
Any help would be appreciated

 

[AK9R]

Police/fire/EMS personnel are usually employees of or are registered volunteers for a taxpayer-funded agency or a private company. Either way, the agency or company providing the service generally has a license to operate on public safety frequencies or written permission from from an agency to operate under the agency's license. In most cases in the U.S., those licenses fall under FCC Part 90 rules. The licensee authorizes its employees or volunteers to use the licencees' frequencies.

Amateur radio is covered under FCC Part 97 rules. This is not the same thing as Part 90. Police/fire/EMS personnel do not use amateur radio frequencies in the general course of doing their jobs and they are not required to have amateur radio licenses in order to do their jobs.

Assuming you have an amateur radio license in the U.S., you are covered under FCC Part 97 rules and you may only operate on frequencies designated for use under Part 97. Your amateur radio license does not permit you to operate on frequencies designated for use under any other part of the FCC's rules.

So if i wanted to call dispatch or another fireman would that be illegal?

Generally, yes. You must be authorized by the agency or company holding the license under which "dispatch" or "another fireman" operates in order to transmit on their frequencies and you must transmit with equipment certificated by the FCC for use on those frequencies. Amateur radio equipment is generally not certificated for use outside the amateur radio bands.

 

[ka3aaa]

You need a lisence to operate any ham radio which will allow you to operate any radio in the event of a national emergency. Most amature radios will not work on trunked radio systems anyway. You will be better off with a cell phone.

 

[W4JKW]

For a much longer discussion with many links and explanations, visit this discussion: https://forums.radioreference.com/t...e-police-officers-security-guards-etc.356682/

 

[drdispatch]

W9BU hit the nail on the head.
I would also add that under part 97, you cannot use amateur radio in any activity in which you have a "pecuniary interest". In essence, if you're getting paid to do what your doing, you can't use ham radio to facilitate it. (This is to prevent ham radio from becoming another business band.)

 

[nd5y]

You need a lisence to operate any ham radio which will allow you to operate any radio in the event of a national emergency.

Show me where the second part of of that is stated in Part 97.

 

[N8IAA]

W9BU hit the nail on the head.
I would also add that under part 97, you cannot use amateur radio in any activity in which you have a "pecuniary interest". In essence, if you're getting paid to do what your doing, you can't use ham radio to facilitate it. (This is to prevent ham radio from becoming another business band.)

You are quoting something that pertains to using ham radio frequencies to do business on those frequencies. Not what I believe the OP had in mind. I'm guessing that there might be a modded 2/440 ham radio involved to contact dispatch where he is a volunteer firefighter. Then, all of this comes into focus.

 

[fire29]

Thank you all for replying and all the information i appreciate it.

 

[AK9R]

Show me where the second part of of that is stated in Part 97.

We've beaten that horse many times, so let's not do it again.

 

[W5lz]

Even so, unless it's a legitimate emergency a license would still be needed to use an amateur radio on an amateur band. Under Part-90 a 'civilian' can operate a Part-90 licensed radio in an emergency, or if he is ordered to do so by one of the employees operating that radio system. To the best of my knowledge there are only exceptions to that in times of a genuine emergency. It is not a valid excuse to "open up" an amateur radio to be capable of doing this before hand (that's been the excuse a number of times, it don't work).

 

[AK9R]

...a license would still be needed to use an amateur radio on an amateur band.

A license is always required to transmit under Part 97 rules. There are no exceptions.

Under Part-90 a 'civilian' can operate a Part-90 licensed radio in an emergency, or if he is ordered to do so by one of the employees operating that radio system.

The FCC does not license radios, but they do grant certificates indicating that a particular radio model is accepted under various parts of the FCC rules that require those certifications.

 

[W5lz]

Considering the subject of this thread, you sure about that no exceptions to Part-97? As far as the license/certificate thing goes, I think you know what I meant. I do think I could have stated it a little better though.

 

[nd5y]

If Part 97 had exceptions they would be spelled out in Part 97. It might help to actually read it.

 

[W5lz]

ND5Y - I've read Part-97 a number of times for a number of reasons. I can't cite the paragraph or line, but it's covered under 'emergency' operations. Just like Part-90, or any of the other Parts.

 

[zz0468]

Do first responders need a FCC license for a ham radio to transmit. So if i wanted to call dispatch or another fireman would that be illegal?

The problem is, your question is completely lacking in context, so we can't be certain just what it is you want to know

Do first responders need a ham license to transmit? No.

If you wanted to call dispatch, would it be illegal? Yes... given no other circumstances beyond "you wanted to call dispatch".

Are you a fireman, or a ham? If you're only a ham, your license pertains to Part 97 operations ONLY. End of discussion. If you're a fireman, sure, you can call your dispatcher and don't need a license. Same with calling "another fireman". This assumes you're a fireman who is authorized to use your department's radios.

First responder's radios operate under Part 90. Part 90 contains NO provisions for Part 97 operations. Part 97 contains no provisions for Part 90 operations. If you're a ham operating on Part 90 systems without authorization, you're not in violation of Part 97. You're in violation of Part 90.

Now, what is it you're REALLY asking?

 

[AK9R]

I can't cite the paragraph or line, but it's covered under 'emergency' operations.

If you are going to speculate about what Part 97 says without bothering to look it up yourself, you really aren't contributing to the conversation.

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.

I underlined the key point because so many folks misinterpret what 97.403 says:

"Amateur station" means a station operating under Part 97. Once you transmit outside the spectrum allocated to Part 97, you are no longer operating under Part 97 rules, so a reading of this rule really could stop right there.

Based on the OP's in post #8, I think we are done here.