<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
panose-1:3 15 7 2 3 3 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Century Schoolbook";
panose-1:2 4 6 4 5 5 5 2 3 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:left;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:windowtext;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:left;
font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:justify;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif";
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<h3>FCC Issues First Waiver for Government-Sponsored Disaster Drill<o:p></o:p></h3>
<p>On Tuesday October 27, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (<a
href="http://www.fcc.gov/wtb" target="_blank">WTB</a>) granted the <a
href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-2302A1.pdf"
target="_blank">first waiver</a> that allows amateurs who participate in a
government-sponsored emergency preparedness and disaster drill to communicate
on behalf of their employers during the drill. The waiver request was made on
behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. That state will be conducting a
full-scale exercise on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 8 AM-5 PM (EDT) to test
their emergency response to the possible release of chemical agents at Blue
Grass Army Depot, located near Richmond, Kentucky.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>"The waiver request was what could almost be termed a 'textbook
example' of the process," said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND. "The waiver request met all of the criteria outlined in
the Commission's recent <i><a
href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-2259A1.pdf"
target="_blank">Public Notice DA 09-2259</a></i>: A government-sponsored drill,
the specifics of when and where the event would happen, the identification of the
amateur licensees that would be providing communications on behalf of their
employers, the identification of the employers and a brief description of the
drill. With all of the requirements in order, the WTB was able to turn the
waiver around promptly, allowing the amateurs involved to participate in the
exercise."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>It is important to note that while this particular waiver -- the first
issued under the new guidelines -- could be readily handled within the short
time frame, Henderson suggests that government agencies wishing to request
similar waivers in the future provide sufficient lead-time for their requests.
"I wouldn't recommend that a waiver request be filed at the last
minute," he said. "The Kentucky waiver had the benefit of being the
first one -- meaning there was no lag time in processing. It also had the
advantage of easily meeting all of the requirements, making it an easier
decision. I would encourage government agencies to file the waiver request as
soon as they know which amateurs will need to be included in the waiver. This
will allow the FCC as much lead time as possible. I am not certain they will be
in a position to expedite last-minute requests."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>