Extending the capacity of RAYNET, and an addition to the number of User Services
Until 31st March, 2001, BR68 and BR68(N), the terms and conditions booklet that forms an integral part of the Amateur Radio station licence, allowed Radio Amateurs to provide communications support to User Services, in the event of emergencies and emergency exercises. Following a Notice of Variation, effective from 1st April 2001, this has changed (for the better).
The full text of the Notice of Variation is available on-line at:
http://www.radio.gov.uk/topics/amateur/document/noticeaborb.htm.
- (1) clause 1(2) of the Booklet was deleted and replaced by:
- "1(2) The Licensee may use or permit the use of the Station, as part of his self-training in communication by radio telecommunications, during any operation authorised by a User Service (defined in sub-clause 12(1)(o)) or during any exercise relating to such an operation for the purpose of sending Messages on behalf of the User Service to other licensed amateur stations. It is recommended that the Licensee follows a formal emergency communications training scheme, details of which are available from the Radiocommunications Agency."; (italics added by webmaster)
- (2) a new clause 1(2A) was inserted after clause 1(2):
- "1(2A) The Licensee may use or permit the use of the Station, as part of his self-training in communication by radio, during any community event where the Licensee has been requested in writing by a User Service [defined in sub-clause 12(1)(o)] to provide communications without pecuniary gain for the purpose of sending Messages relating to the event to other licensed amateur stations.";
- (3)
- the words "Except when conducting emergency communications on behalf of a User Service," were added to the beginning of clause 1(6) of the Booklet.
Boiled down, this gives permission for Radio Amateurs to provide communications support for non-emergency local events, on behalf of User Services (provided, as ever, that a request for support has been received in writing), thus allowing us, as RAYNET stations, to further practice our skills and techniques, while assisting the community. You should note the last part of the new clause 1(2), which recommends that Amateur Stations follow a formal emergency communications training scheme. RAYNET follows such a scheme, and the Local and National communications and operations manuals for RAYNET will reflect this.
- The Notice of Variation also notes the following;
- (12) the words "Women's Royal Voluntary Service, Salvation Army, HM Coastguard" were inserted after "St Andrew's Ambulance Association," in sub-clause 12(1)(o) of the Booklet;
This increases the official list of "User Services". The current list is therefore:
- The British Red Cross Society,
- The St John Ambulance Brigade,
- The St Andrew’s Ambulance Association,
- The Women's Royal Voluntary Service,
- The Salvation Army,
- The HM Coastguard,
- Chief Emergency Planning Officer ("Chief Emergency Planning Officer" means an Emergency Planning Officer who is not responsible to any higher Emergency Planning Officer, such as a County, Regional or Islands Emergency Planning Officer)
- and any United Kingdom police force, fire or ambulance service, health authority, government department or public utility.
It is worth noting that the new Clause 1(2) makes no mention of a requirement to obtain a written request for assistance in the event of genuine emergency operations; it merely states that the operation be 'authorised by a User Service'. This facilitates our involvement earlier in emergencies, by removing the need for us to first receive a written request; a confirmation, later on, will probably still be needed, but to get us involved in emergency operations is now much easier for the User Services - this is a welcome change.