Please cite a specific case, ruling, or law to support your position.
There is no LAW as Part 97 is not a law enacted by the Supreme Court, it is a RULE.
ARES is a volunteer public safety org. with "Command Staff (being NIMS ICS). Therefore based on your logic, Command staff of your local ARES group would be employees also and in violation of the rule.Also, amateur radio operators who use the local ARES repeater to talk and rag chew would also be in violation of Part 97 as this type of communication can be accomplished based on other means. (i.e email or phone)
§97.111 Authorized transmissions.
(a) An amateur station may transmit the following types of two-way communications:
(1) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with other stations in the amateur service, except those in any country whose administration has notified the ITU that it objects to such communications. The FCC will issue public notices of current arrangements for international communications.
(2) Transmissions necessary to meet essential communication needs and to facilitate relief actions.
Here is some more examples for you
Ham Radio Helps Out with Mountain Rescue
HAM Radio & Emergency Communications : Red Rock Search and Rescue
Santa Fe Amateur Radio Club - Article by K5PMC
Pulaski County Amateur Radio Search & Rescue Team
And the list goes on... If you have nothing nice to say, dont say it at all. The point of this forum post was to give a review of a new radio. Not for Keyboard Warriors to flame me.
And you are right SOME SAR teams have licenses, but the are attached to other government agencies. In Florida, this is NOT the case. We have access to the State Mutual Aid repeaters, but this is for disasters. We have done research, and have lawyers on the team who have also done research. Based on what we do, and the few times we do it, this is the best system for us. MULTIPLE teams around the US also do this, so what does that tell you?
And more.....
http://www.urfmsi.org/publicservice.html
0:00am Search and Rescue and Ham Radio (Adam Shepherd Room A)
Bud Dixon KG4AFQ of the Jefferson County Search Dog Association presents how they use Amateur Radio to communicate during emergency search and rescues and how they keep track of the dogs and teams using APRS. JCSDA.com offers more information about their volunteer organization, plus a kids area to learn more about search and rescue dogs.