-----Original Message-----
From: ARRL Web site [mailto:memberlist@...]
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 10:35 AM
Subject: ARLB022 5-MHz Interoperability Channels Designated for Wildfires
and Hurricane Sally Response

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB022
ARLB022 5-MHz Interoperability Channels Designated for Wildfires and
Hurricane Sally Response

ZCZC AG22
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 22 ARLB022
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 16, 2020
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB022
ARLB022 5-MHz Interoperability Channels Designated for Wildfires and
Hurricane Sally Response

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that two
60-meter channels have been made available, as necessary, for
interoperability between US Government stations and US amateur radio
stations involved in emergency communications related to the wildland
firefighting response in California, Oregon, and Washington, and to
Hurricane Sally. These interoperability channels will remain active until
the need for these channels no longer
exists:

* Channel 1 - primary voice traffic 5332 kHz channel center, 5330.5 kHz USB
voice.

* Channel 2 - digital traffic 5348 kHz channel center, 5346.5 kHz USB with
1.5-kHz offset to center of digital waveform.

Frequencies may be modified or added to by FEMA Region 10 for their area or
operations due to existing 5-MHz/60-meter interoperability plans for their
region.

Amateur radio is secondary on the 5-MHz band and should yield to operational
traffic related to wildland firefighting and hurricane response. Although
the intended use for these channels is interoperability between federal
government stations and licensed US amateur radio stations, federal
government stations are primary users and amateurs are secondary users.

The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS - https://netcom.army.mil/mars/ )
is following FEMA's lead on the interoperability channel designations for
the wildfire and hurricane response. Army MARS Program Manager Paul English,
WD8DBY, says he has alerted all MARS members of the FEMA channel
designations and MARS members are prepared to support response efforts as
needed.
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