SB QST @ ARL $ARLB050
ARLB050 FCC Requests Voluntary Communications Emergency

ZCZC AG50
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 50  ARLB050
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  December 27, 2000
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB050
ARLB050 FCC Requests Voluntary Communications Emergency

The FCC has requested that Amateur Radio operators in and around
Texas voluntarily relinquish the use of 3870 to 3878 kHz to enable
the handling of emergency traffic. Ice storms have disrupted power
and communication and made for hazardous travel conditions in the
region. Amateur Radio operators have activated the Emergency and
Tactical Traffic Net  to handle traffic related to the weather
emergency.

At the request of ARRL South Texas Section Manager Ray Taylor,
N5NAV, Leroy Pittman of the FCC has asked the amateur community to
cooperate in recognizing the existence of a voluntary communications
emergency and to stay clear of the specified 75-meter frequencies.
Taylor reports that Amateur Radio operators already have helped with
hospital communications after hospital telephones were knocked out.

A net on 7285 kHz has been handling much of the winter storm-related
traffic during daylight hours.

A copy of Pittman's request to voluntarily relinquish use of the
specified 75-meter frequencies was sent to the FCC's HF Direction
Finding facility in Columbia, Maryland.
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