Warren County Amateur Radio Association (WCARA) is an organization consisting of members of amateur radio operators with licenses granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) governed by U.S. Code Title 47, including Part 97 as quoted below.
Basis and Purpose of an Amateur Radio License
Subpart A—General Provisions
§ 97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in
the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication
and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
RACES related paragraphs:
Subpart A—General Provisions
§ 97.3 Definitions.
(38) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio service using amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies.
Subpart B—Station Operation Standards
§ 97.101 General standards.
(c) At all times and on all frequencies, each control operator must give priority to stations providing emergency communications, except to stations transmitting communications for training drills and tests in RACES.
§ 97.111 Authorized transmissions.
(a) An amateur station may transmit the following types of two-way communications:
(4) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with a United States government station, necessary to providing communications in RACES; and
§ 97.407 Radio amateur civil emergency service.
(a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed primary, club, or military recreation station and it is certified by a civil
defense organization as registered with that organization. No person may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in
RACES unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in
that organization.
(b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the control operator are available to stations transmitting
communications in RACES on a shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates invoking the
President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.
606, amateur stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the frequency segments authorized pursuant to part 214 of this
chapter.
(c) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only communicate with the following stations upon authorization
of the responsible civil defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is registered:
(1) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense organization; and
(2) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC.
(d) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only
civil defense communications of the following types may be transmitted:
(1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the national defense or security
during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies;
(2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law
and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;
(3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population
essential to the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and
(4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient
operation of the RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organization served. Such drills and tests may not exceed a total
time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the applicable State, Commonwealth, District
or territory, however, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar
year.
Guidance for Warren County Amateur Radio Association Operations
(1) Each member will to adhere to Part 97 in all Warren County Amateur Radio Association amateur radio operations.
(2) Each member will not use Part 97 Amateur Radio Services, Warren County Amateur Radio Association amateur radio operations, to circumvent any other FCC Commission's rules especially including the following:
Private Land Mobile Radio Services under Part 90 of the Commission’s rules. The radio services include those used by public safety agencies, utilities, railroads, manufacturers, commercial activity, educational, philanthropic, or ecclesiastical institutions, clergy activities, hospitals, clinics, or medical associations, and a wide variety of other organizations and businesses.