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INTEROPERABILITY COMMUNICATIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN DISASTER RELIEF
INCIDENTS, HE TOLD THE SUBCOMMITTEE.  HE SAID HAM RADIO IS ABLE TO FILL
THIS CRUCIAL ROLE BECAUSE EVEN THE INTEROPERABILITY CHANNELS THAT EXIST IN
MOST PUBLIC SAFETY ALLOCATIONS ARE USELESS WHEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE GOES DOWN.  INTEROPERABILITY, IN SHORT,
PRESUMES OPERABILITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, KRAMER SAID.  WHILE SOME
HARDENING OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES IS CALLED FOR, THERE IS IN OUR VIEW
AN INCREASING ROLE FOR DECENTRALIZED, PORTABLE AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS WHICH
ARE NOT INFRASTRUCTURE DEPENDENT IN PROVIDING INTEROPERABILITY
COMMUNICATION ON SITE.  KRAMER TOLD SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN FRED UPTON AND
HIS HOUSE COLLEAGUES THAT AMATEUR RADIO IS LARGELY INVISIBLE TO BOTH THE
FCC AND TO CONGRESS ON A DAILY BASIS, BECAUSE IT IS VIRTUALLY SELF
REGULATING AND SELF ADMINISTERED, HE SAID.  IT IS ONLY DURING EMERGENCIES
THAT THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE IS IN THE SPOTLIGHT.  ALSO TESTIFYING AT THE
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Brazos Valley ARC KK5W W5DPA 747 2 34 3,436 STX Radio Association of Erie
W3GV 831 2 25 3,212 WPA Mid Atlantic ARC W3NWA 808 2 22 3,144 EPA North
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