By Web Williams

The recent hurricanes have demonstrated yet again the value of amateur radio
service operations - aka ham-radio operations - as a crucial supplement to
public-sector emergency communications. In Palm Beach County, Fla., ham
volunteers even had to pinch hit for public-sector emergency services when
those communications - police, fire, rescue - went down for 11 hours.

All across the country, however, homeowners associations and restrictive
covenants ban all ham antennas, and thus all ham-radio operations, from some
communities. This leaves homeowners-association-controlled communities,
where four out of 10 Americans now reside, extra vulnerable and
underprotected in the face of natural or man-made disasters.

Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., has introduced H.R. 1478: a bill that would ban
homeowners associations [from banning ham-radio antennas]. Reasonable
regulations by homeowners associations and covenants would still be allowed,
but they could no longer be carried to the point of banning ham radio
operations completely.

Congressional leaders are planning to adjourn this session of Congress for
the year by early October. This would kill H.R. 1478 and all other pending
bills.

Fortunately, a campaign is under way to enact H.R. 1478 by adding it to the
fast-moving bill on the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations.

Unfortunately, my own 1st District congressman, Rep. Henry Brown, R-Hanahan,
has not lifted a finger to help. In fact, in response to my correspondence,
he will not even tell me his position on this bill.

Perhaps public disclosure of his current unresponsiveness in this newspaper
will motivate Brown to co-sponsor H.R. 1478 and support its inclusion in the
Sept. 11 commission bill. I certainly hope so. Every day that congressional
leaders fail to act on H.R. 1478 is a day that lives are put at risk - for
no good reason.

(The writer lives in Myrtle Beach).

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld...on/9847150.htm

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 21:21:14 +0000, Mike Terry wrote:

All across the country, however, homeowners associations and restrictive
covenants ban all ham antennas, and thus all ham-radio operations, from some
communities. This leaves homeowners-association-controlled communities,
where four out of 10 Americans now reside, extra vulnerable and
underprotected in the face of natural or man-made disasters.


I'd live in the woods before I'd live in some Nazi ass community such as
those restrictive places. When the **** hits the fans we'll be the first
ones they want to help. Well, they can kiss MY ass.

"Fredrick Garvin" wrote
On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 21:21:14 +0000, Mike Terry wrote:

All across the country, however, homeowners associations and restrictive
covenants ban all ham antennas, and thus all ham-radio operations, from
some
communities. This leaves homeowners-association-controlled communities,
where four out of 10 Americans now reside, extra vulnerable and
underprotected in the face of natural or man-made disasters.


I'd live in the woods before I'd live in some Nazi ass community such as
those restrictive places. When the **** hits the fans we'll be the first
ones they want to help. Well, they can kiss MY ass.


Nobody will be calling on hams to work from their homes in an emergency.

http://www.eham.net/forums/EmergencyCommunications/1618

Is Ham radio emergency communication? Reply
by xxxxx on September 25, 2004 Mail this to a friend!
Several times today (9-25-04, Duval county, FL) there were a few A.R.E.S.
nets looking for check-ins to see who was available to work the shelters, if
opened, for hurricane Jeanne, or who could work relief shifts for those that
would be there for many hours. Each and every hurricane activation we've
monitored this month (I'm self admittedly selfish, stay home look after
family, property and neighborhood) we only hear about two or three
individuals who actually check-in to offer their assistance, equipment or
even to go to a nearby community, but about a dozen of the same individuals,
each and every time, always check-in and say: "Blah, blah, blah, checking
in. I can't go to no shelters or relieve anybody but I just wanted to let
you know that I'll be here at my house listening as often as I can."
Gee, how thoughtful of you. Thanks for telling that to the guys that who
will be there all night or for 24 plus hours. I'm sure they feel better
knowing they have you for an audience. As I mentioned before, I stay home
too but I don't waste the hard working few's time by saying so and I've
never thought I had let the whole world know I'll be sitting home feeling
important.
Does it make you guys feel better? A net specifically looking for actual
bodies, not ears but you guys are always compelled to just get on the radio
and pollute the airwaves with your self importance.
There was even one check-in who wanted to argue about a 10mph difference in
predicted wind conditions that he heard on the Weather Channel vs. the
information that the gentleman at the EOC had acquired from a different
source.

73,good luck and stay safe everyone.
xxxx

Is Ham radio emergency communication? Reply
by xxxx on September 27, 2004 Mail this to a friend!
Excellent point! In my thirty years of emergency communications work, I've
found that there are very few emergencies where we need folks to be able to
work from their houses, unless they live in an EOC or shelter!

Ninety percent of the time, we need folks to set up portable (not HT or
vehicle) VHF stations at shelters, distribution points, or staff radio
equipment at EOC's or Red Cross Chapters. Five percent of the time, we might
need mobile units for damage assessment teams.

That leaves only five percent of the emergency communications jobs for folks
staying in their homes, typically as NCS's of nets. Those jobs I always
reserve for the physically disabled.

So if you want to be twenty times more useful in Emergency Communications,
you must do enough advance preparation so that you can leave your family
alone during a disaster.

That isn't hard; it just takes forethought and training your family to be
self-sufficient. Details on creating your home emergency supply kit can be
found at the Red Cross website. All the radios in the world are useless if
you haven't done this first.

And, yes, I speak from personal experience. I've been in the eye of four
hurricanes. One time I even left my pregnant wife home with another infant
to report to an EOC. But our emergency supplies kit at home is refreshed
annually, so there was no problem.

And yes, I'm still happily married. The baby is now a licensed ham and a
freshman in college!

73

xxxx, xxxx