Bid: $RACESBUL.362
Subject: RB362 RACES Benefits???

From: W6WWW@KD6XZ.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM
To  : RACES@ALLUS

TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES VIA AMATEUR RADIO
INFO:    COMMUNICATIONS VOLUNTEERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE
INFO:    AMATEURS U.S  (@USA: INFORMATION), CAP, MARS, RACES
FROM:    AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE (ACS) of the Governor's
      Office of Emergency Services; the volunteer communications
      reserve of the State of California.

RB 362 for release 1/23/95
SUBJECT: OPS - INCIDENTAL RACES BENEFITS

Query: do the benefits to RACES participants of a county program
such as a credit union conflict with FCC Amateur Radio Service
rules?

Reply: The FCC rules do not apply to Amateurs for the use of a
credit union by participants in a county benefit program as a
result of a RACES program in and by that county. What it does do
is to seek to prevent Amateur licensees from using the Amateur
Radio Service FREQUENCIES incorrectly. It's not the Amateur
LICENSE per se that the FCC is interested in, it's the improper
use of Amateur Service FREQUENCIES it wants to avoid; i.e.,
pecuniary interest or pay for use of the AMATEUR frequencies
(or any use of other frequencies improperly.)

Incidental benefits -- such as the optional use of a credit
union, or an employers continuation of one's salary, and
provision of workers compensation or insurance coverage for
disaster service workers -- are not a violation of the FCC rules.
None of this conflicts with a FCC regulation because the pay is
incidential to the work, not in compensation FOR the use of the
Amateur Radio Service frequencies.

Other examples include compensation for mileage, lodging and
meals by a jurisdiction while doing emergency response work.
Likewise, hundreds of licensed amateurs operate equipment on
either business or government frequencies with no difficulty from
the FCC. Again, it's not the license, but the use of Amateur
frequencies that is the issue.

An interesting paradox is the one where private or government
employees can be released from their jobs to assist IN AN
emergency and continue to receive pay while they are at the
volunteer disaster work. As a result, some ACS/RACES people may
actually receive salaries from their employer while on duty
operating on the Amateur frequencies during an emergency.
Unfortunately, there are people highly perturbed at the fact that
they are unpaid while they work alongside others who are paid for
their time while doing the same emergency response work. However,
the problem really isn't the situation, but what they THINK about
it. It disturbs them for one or more of several reasons, one of
which could be that they'd like to have the same "goodie", which
some would describe as envy.

Amateur Radio participants who cannot raise their mental standard
of acceptance and participation above that of miscontent over
such factors don't belong in the unit. Terminate or discharge
them!  They may not like that, but it's best for the overall
morale of the unit; and in a way, it has a chance of helping that
person in ways he or she may someday discern.
                             --  --  --
ACS Addresses:  2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA. 95832.
Ph: 916-262-1600. FAX 916-262-1677. Landline BBS: 916-262-1657.
W6SIG@WA6NWE.CA or  Internet crm@oes.ca.gov or seh@oes.ca.gov.
[Bulletin BBS Origination W6WWW@KD6XZ.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM]
eom


-----------------