[BC] Emergency Traffic

[JYRussell@academicplanet.com]

I had started working up a plan to expand some of our local ham / EOC 
stuff by putting together a co-op of the local hams, the local VFD, 
the emergency management co-ordinators office..  if we share space on 
our repeaters, and our pl stuff, there should be no reason for holes 
in the VHF pattern the State has allocated for the VFD's - at least 
not during multi-agency efforts.  (as well as the SO, and several 
PD's. use VHF in our area)

   OUr fire chief decided it was not the thing to do as it would be 
possible for 'non-emergency personnel' to listen in, and possibly interfere.

   I'll remind him about that when the tones go out for hams and such 
this tornado season...
Jason
----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Alexander" <dynotherm at earthlink.net>


>On 8 Sep 2006 at 12:36, Tom Bosscher wrote:
>
>>  But these two &^%$ retentive hams said that hams can never
>>be used to pass commercial traffic, including hospitals.
>
>True emergency (distress) traffic is not commercial traffic. Any
>traffic having to do with imminent danger to human life is, by
>definition distress traffic. As distress traffic it can be passed
>by any capable station, and that includes amateur radio, business
>radio, Part 15 walkie-talkie or any means available. When it is
>being transmitted, it has ABSOLUTE priority over all other
>traffic, IIRC as a matter of law. However, the message should be
>clearly identified as distress traffic by clearly speaking
>"MAYDAY" three times in the message preface. Then, there is no
>question of its status under law. Or, so I learned all those years
>ago when I took element 1 of my Third Phone test at the old U.S.
>Court House in Chicago.
>
>I'd venture to say the worst any ham would get for passing
>distress traffic is a commendation for a job well done.
>
>Trivia question of the day - does anyone remember the FCC's
>room number in the old U.S. Court House in Chicago?
>
>Trivia question #2 - what are the two lower urgency priorities
>and what are the code words associated with them, below the
>distress message category?
>