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First, however, a few basics: An MOU provides a framework for cooperation and coordination with agencies to which we as radio amateurs provide communication services. At the national level, this means Headquarters-to-Headquarters contact periodically, for exchanging news, views, information, and points of contact in the field. For example, ARRL staff attends the annual Red Cross partnership meeting, along with representatives from other agencies and organizations (from the government and non-government, private and commercial sectors) that have MOUs with the congressionally-chartered organization. The idea is to get to know one another on a face-to-face basis, so that when the detritus hits the fan, you know who to call and who you can count on.
At the local level, an MOU serves two purposes. First, it's a door opener. A new ARES group is more likely to be heard and taken seriously by a local NWS office when accompanied by the agreement document signed by the head of the agency. The served agency says, in effect, we have examined this organization of radio amateurs and have found them to be trustworthy and able to render substantial and needed services for our field operations in times of emergency. The agency head is telling its field offices, "Go get 'em--they are good for us."
Secondly, once your foot is in the door, the provisions of the MOU document spell out the capabilities and organization of the servers (us), the organization and needs of the served agency (them), and the methods of operation. These are broad guidelines that lead to the establishment of a local memorandum of understanding or similar document that sets forth the detailed operational plans and policies to be subscribed to by both parties during drills, and actual events.
The most important step here is to ensure that both parties to the local agreement have a realistic assessment of the resources brought to the table by the servers, and the needs of the served. Fanciful expectations are the largest pitfalls leading to breaches of trust and a breakdown of relations, with each party going away unhappy and demoralized. Rifts develop and once in place, become recalcitrant. What's worse, is that the public, the "clientele" of both Amateur Radio and the agency, is not served. The public has the true need.
ARRL and the Red Cross have had cooperative agreements since 1940. The current statement was signed in 2002. Chartered by Congress in 1905, the Red Cross provides relief to victims displaced by disaster, from the onset of disaster conditions to the recovery phase. Their national headquarters is located in Washington, but most of the action occurs at the state and local chapter levels, where the rubber meets the road. Local ARES Emergency Coordinators work closely with their counterparts in the chapter offices. Look at just about any summary of a disaster event, and you'll find reports of amateurs out on missions with Red Cross personnel, and providing communications for shelter managers.
The current statement is available on the web.
Amateur Radio is almost synonymous with the Skywarn program, the "eyes and ears" of the National Weather Service during severe weather emergencies. Hams comprise the majority of Skywarn volunteers, who report "ground truths" to local NWS offices, supplementing their sophisticated weather monitoring equipment. ARRL has had an agreement with the National Weather Service, effecting this support, since 1986. The agency consists of a national headquarters in Washington, DC, with regional offices throughout the country, and has undergone considerable reorganization in the last few years. The Skywarn program is one of the finest examples of hams providing public service.
In June 2003, ARRL became an official affiliate program of Citizen Corps,an initiative within the Department of Homeland Security to enhance public preparedness and safety.Citizen Corps Liaison to the White House Liz DiGregorio was at the signing of the new Statement of Affiliation, as was Chief Operating Officer of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate (FEMA) Ron Castleman, representing Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response Michael Brown.
The new Statement of Affiliation (SoA) makes ARRL an affiliate under the four charter Citizen Corps programs--Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, Community Emergency Response Teams and Medical Reserve Corps. The League joins the National Safety Council, Points of Light Foundation, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fire Protection Association, Save A Life Foundation and The Jaycees as Citizen Corps affiliate programs.
ARRL has worked very closely with FEMA beginning in 1984 when an MOU was inked that helped ARRL volunteers coordinate their services with emergency management at all levels of government. FEMA's job was as a "last responder," as opposed to first responders (the local, county and state emergency management agencies). Today, Citizen Corps groups are at the community level and state levels to assist first responders.
The new SoA calls on DHS and ARRL to raise public awareness of Amateur Radio as a safety resource. DHS and ARRL will cooperate in providing training and accreditation for Amateur Radio emergency communications. They will work together to promote the formation of local Citizen Corps councils and assist them with education, training and volunteer service opportunities that support first responders, disaster relief organizations and community safety efforts.
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International is comprised of communications professionals in emergency medical, law enforcement, fire, SAR, and other public safety fields. The APCO Bulletin is an excellent periodical devoted to a broad range of communication issues. (The June 1996 issue featured Amateur Radio). Headquartered in South Daytona, Florida, the organization has numerous chapter offices across the country, the level at which ARRL volunteers interface with the organization. APCO-International promotes standardization, education, and information exchange. Amateur Radio is often represented at the organization's annual convention.
The ARRL/APCO MOU calls for pre-planning between local ARRL officials and APCO chapter officers to provide for supplemental communications services by amateurs during emergencies. A new MOU was signed in 1996. National-level coordination occurs between standing committees of both organizations.
The NCS is a unique organization. It is a confederation of 23 organizations across the Federal Government tasked with ensuring the availability of a viable national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications infrastructure. The President designates member organizations that own or lease telecommunications facilities/services of significant value to emergency response or that have important telecommunications policy, regulatory, or enforcement responsibilities. The assets of these 23 organizations comprise the bulk of the Federal Government's telecommunications resources.
Veterans will recall the NCS "Night Tango" exercises of the '80s, designed to evaluate the capabilities of volunteer communications systems to support NCS goals. NCS recognizes the resources that trained radio amateurs bring to the table, especially through the decentralized field organization (ARES and NTS) of the ARRL.
NARTE President Jim Wickham (left) signs the ARRL-NARTE Memorandum of Understanding as ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, looks on. [Rick Lindquist] |
Founded in 1982, the National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers Inc (NARTE) offers an accredited certification program to qualified engineers and technicians, many of them Amateur Radio operators. Its other activities include participation as a commercial operator license examination manager. Its primary mission is to promote professional excellence within the telecommunications industry and related areas.
In the ARRL/NARTE MOU (174,787 bytes, PDF file), the organizations have agreed to work together on mutually beneficial programs or events that are "intended to foster and promote technical awareness, education, and achievement in amateur and commercial telecommunications."
Last, but certainly not least, is the Salvation Army, which for decades has provided services to victims of disasters. Its national headquarters is located in Alexandria, Virginia, and is organized in four territories across the U.S., each having its own headquarters and corporate structure. Nine to 11 administrative centers report to each territorial office.
The Salvation Army is particularly active in the recovery stage of disasters, and has communications needs, often filled by ARRL volunteers. ARRL staff meets with Salvation Army representatives each year at the annual NVOAD meeting in Washington. NVOAD is the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, of which ARRL is a member-organization. The ARRL and the Salvation Army revised its MOU in 1996.
Haynie and Society of Broadcast Engineers President Andy Butler (left) put their signatures on a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations.[ARRL Photo by Brooks Blunck, W3BCW] |
ARRL is committed to helping develop future careers in RF Engineering and related technological fields. Our alliance with the Society of Broadcast Engineers will help many hams gain the informational resources necessary to make sound career choices, as well as strengthen the exchange of technological innovation between hams and engineering professionals.
The ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, and the USPS, United States Power Squadrons, a national boating and educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding on June 4, 2005 linking the two services in their efforts to better serve the public.
"The organizations have each served the people for almost a century and combining their efforts will allow them to better serve our country", said Darrel Allison, National Chairman of USPS's Marketing/Public Relations Committee.
Dave Sumner, CEO of the ARRL added, "ARRL and USPS have long and distinguished histories dating back to 1914, but both organizations have their focus on the future. It is a pleasure to be working together."
USPS has 50,000 + members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Japan. These boating families contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. Local squadrons offer public boating safety courses on a regular basis. Organized in 1914 as a non-profit boating organization, USPS is a world leader in speaking out for and promoting the needs of all recreational boaters.
In their 1984 Cooperative Agreement, the QCWA and the ARRL recognized each others efforts to support, protect, promote and advance the Amateur Radio Service.
While REACT has been associated primarily with Citizens Band in the past, the organization has widened its focus to embrace amateur and other services. ARRL and REACT share common goals in terms of emergency communication. The primary mission of REACT is "to provide public safety communications to individuals, organizations, and government agencies to save lives, prevent injuries, and give assistance wherever and whenever needed."
The memorandum of understanding calls on the two organizations to "cooperate and utilize their resources from time to time to optimum mutual benefit to both parties." Among specific principles, the agreement will involve cooperation during emergencies and disaster relief and the elimination of "duplicative or technically inferior service" during such responses. "The parties will generally encourage ongoing liaison with each other and urge members of both organizations to develop increasingly effective communications and cooperation," the agreement states.
Members of ARRL and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) share common goals of serving the public through efficient and effective use of radio communications. To this end, members of both organizations engage in regular training to prepare for emergency and disaster communications. Members of both organizations provide important communications capability to the Homeland Security programs of the United States.
Our formal relationships with these agencies lend legitimacy and credibility to Amateur Radio, helping to justify continued access to our spectrum. They provide the opportunity for individual amateurs and groups to personally contribute meaningfully to the public welfare, helping us enjoy a more fulfilling Amateur Radio experience. ARRL section leaders, especially Section Managers, Section Emergency Coordinators, DECs, ECs, and Section Traffic Managers are urged to contact their local agency counterparts for opportunities to serve.
Each of the MOU documents is available here on the Web site:
American Red Cross
National Weather Service
Department of Homeland Security -- Citizen Corps (FEMA)
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International
National Communications System
National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers, Inc.
Salvation Army
Society of Broadcast Engineers
Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc.
Radio Emergency Associated Communication Teams
Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
United States Power Squadrons
