ARLA/CLUSTER : Cooperação entre o FBI e os Amadores Americanos

[Salomao Fresco]

Carissímos Colegas:

Tomo a liberdade de reencaminhar uma mensagem que recebi num dos foruns a
que pertenço.
A mesma refere um programa de cooperação entre os Rádio amadores Americanos
e uma Agência de Segurança local: O FBI.

Se tiver oportunidade irei traduzir a mensagem.


"==>FBI'S "INFRAGARD" PROGRAM COURTS AMATEUR RADIO AS ALLY

Amateur Radio's value as one component in a cooperative effort to protect
critical national infrastructure was the focus of an InfraGard
"Communications Interoperability and Ham Radios" summit this week in New
York City. An FBI program, InfraGard is dedicated to promoting dialogue
between the private sector and the federal investigative agency
"concerning
critical infrastructure protection issues." ARRL Chief Development Officer
Mary Hobart, K1MMH, and Affiliated Clubs/Mentor Program Manager Norm
Fusaro,
W3IZ, represented League Headquarters at the gathering, which featured a
range of speakers.

"This is the key to opening the door to a valuable model partnership,"
Hobart commented afterward. "They were very receptive. I think it was
a good
beginning."

Hobart says Amateur Radio came up on InfraGard's radar earlier this
year and
got the nonprofit organization thinking of Amateur Radio as a possible
partner, ally and service provider in emergencies. New York Metro
InfraGard
put together the one-day session July 17 at Cisco Systems' New York office
as a way to get more familiar with Amateur Radio.

"They understand that ham radio has 'been there' in terms of
emergencies and
disasters and is working to improve its ability to respond," Hobart said.
She said New York Metro InfraGard President Joe Concannon "expressed his
deep interest in Amateur Radio as a partner and a desire to learn more
about
our capabilities."

Keynote speaker for the day-long session was Broadcasting & Cable Hall of
Famer and New York Public Television CEO William Baker, W1BKR. Jeff
Pulver,
WA2BOT, chairman and founder of pulvermedia.com and cofounder of Vonage,
also addressed the gathering.

"This InfraGard meeting brought together a group of people who care about
post-disaster communication preparedness, and a majority of the people in
attendance were active members of the Amateur Radio community," Pulver
observed later in a blog entry. "This was my first time in the
post-VoIP era
that I had a chance to talk to hams about my early experiences with
VoIP and
how my ham radio background has had a positive effect on the past 12 years
of my life."

Pulver said the InfraGard meeting provided "a great audience to speak to,
since we shared a common passion for communications and common ground on a
number of topics." He said that includes the need for coordination between
the ham radio community and fellow communication enthusiasts "who want to
volunteer their time the next time disaster strikes."

In a presentation called "Radio Communications 101," New York City
District
Emergency Coordinator Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, spoke about the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) and the League's role in emergency and public
service communication and training.

Allan Manuel, an attorney in the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security
Branch, indicated the Commission is willing to be more flexible in
accommodating Amateur Radio during emergencies and disasters. The FCC
wants
to hear from the public by August 7 in response to an FCC Notice of
Proposed
Rule Making (NPRM) regarding recommendations of the independent panel that
reviewed Hurricane Katrina's impact on communication systems (EB Docket
06-119). Some of the wide-ranging proposals in the NPRM include possibly
amending the rules to permit automatic grants of certain types of
waivers or
special temporary authority (STA) in declared disaster areas.

For their part, Hobart and Fusaro demonstrated the League's "Ham Aid" go
kits of Amateur Radio gear that can be rapidly deployed to disaster areas
where the Amateur Radio infrastructure has been lost or compromised. They
also provided attendees with copies of the ARRL's Community Education
Program brochures and materials.

Hobart says Concannon envisions a model in New York City that other
InfraGard chapters across the country could emulate. "I think it's an
opportunity for Amateur Radio to align itself with a high-profile
group with
key federal connections," she said."




Cumprimentos

Salomão Fresco
CT2IRJ

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