The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-07-17
Radio Hams To Get Chance
 In Emergency

WASHINGTON TwO-way radio communication in air raid emergen- cies employing the skill of civilian technicians. including radio anna teurs, was envisaged this week in a joint statement by the Office of Civilian Defense and the Federal Communications Commission which announced a new WAR EMERG- ENCY RADIO SERVICE, providing for the use of Civilian Defense" stations Under authority granted in Order No of the Defense Com municatiOns Board, the two agen- cies are collaborating their aetiv- ities relative to proposed emergency civilian defense radio systems to be available in the event air raids damage or destroy other means of communication.
 Thousands of compact radio sta tions to be constructed and operat ed under prescribed restrictions largely by persons who have had amateur radio experience are ex- pected to augment the services of the OCD organizations throughout the nation According to radio en- gineers the two-way radio stations can be constructed of the unused junk" material which amateurs and radio repairmen usually aeeum- ulate in their ''storerOoms" The transmitters will use not more than 25 watts input power, which will tend to limit their effective com municating range to approximately ten miles-the longest distance or dtnarily necessary for this type of service.
 OCD Director James M. Landis, in a memorandum to the nine OCD regional directors said:
 Although the War Emergency Radio Service is the outgrowth of a recommendation which the Office of Civilian Defense made to the De- fense Communications Board for the reactivation of amateur radio for civilian defense purposes. it must be understood, that it is be- ing set up as an entirely new radio facility which may be put in Op- eration only upon the specific auth orization from the Federal COmmun- ications Commission"
 Persons holding commercial radio operator licenses, including radio engineers employed in broadcast stations, qualified repairmen, and others interested, are expected to join the civilian defense cOmmuni- cation system. One amateur organ ization as well as broadcast stations are encouraging their members to participate in building up the new radio system. Printed manuals de- signed to facilitate administrative operation will be distributed by the OCD, through it's regional offices.
 EGG Extra Precautions
 Officials at the Communications Commission explained that blanket licenses for all civilian defense radio stations within a civil de- fense operations area would be granted to an fundamentally of local government" when the equip ment is in the possession or con- trOl of the local government. 4 radio aide" for the local instru- mentality must be certified and ap- pointed in accordance with FCC rules. Separate operator licenses designated War Emergency Ser vice Operator Permits" will be is- sued to persons assigned to operate each radio station. However, it was emphasized at the EGG that no in dividual operator permit of this special class will be issued unless the applicant first holds a regular EGG operator license or permit, and only after the EGG has been satif- fled in regard to the integrity and loyalty of each applicant for War Emergency Service Operator Permit.
 James Lawrence Fly, Chairman of the Defense Communications Board and the Federal Communica- tions Commission declared that:
 This gives thousands of anna teurs an opportunity to employ their radio skill in their local protection services" He added. "the new em. ergency service may be described as a standby facility to be used when other means of communica tion fail. We have assigned certain bands of frequencies above 112,00C kilocycles for the use of the OCT organizations, and provision ha! been made for testing during black outs and other mobilization trials ?
 Since the United States has beer at war, all amateurs have beer banned from the air by the EGG al requested by the Defense Communi cations Board. Since that time l; representative amateur organiza tion of national scope, the Ameri can Radio Relay League, has beel cooperating with the OCD and tn EGG to the end that radio amateur will be made available to assist il alleviating the damaging effects o possible air raids on this country The FCC acted immediately afte the Japanese attack on Pearl liar n