Radio Amateurs invited to join Amber Alert system

Radio Hams in Washington state are officially invited to join that state's Amber Alert public notification system.

Amateur Radio Newsline's Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, reports:

According to a news report aired on Spokane television station KHQ, there are some 27,000 licensed radio Amateurs in Washington to whom the state's Emergency Management System and State Patrol have jointly invited to take part in the Washington Amber Alert program.

Representing the local Spokane ham community on the KHQ newscast was Jack Tiley, AD7FO. Tiley is the Spokane County ARES and RACES Assistant Emergency Coordinator. He indicated that the advantage ham radio it that it has people on the roads with two way radios in their vehicles.

If they are aware of an Amber Alert, and then spot the fugitive car with a kidnap victim, that they can quickly call in the information to authorities. He also noted that hams have communications into areas of Spokane where cellphones simply do not work.

Washington State Trooper Jeff Seventhy appeared by telephone in the KHQ report. He said that the addition of the ham radio community to the program is truly welcome. He said that the main goal is to find kids who are missing as quickly as possible and that the more people out there helping, the better.

No mention was made as to whether any of the states ham radio repeaters plan to install decoders to permit direct relay of Amber Alert messages. Some hams in other states do not think doing so is legal, others do but nobody has ever petitioned the FCC to get a definitive ruling. You can see the entire KHQ report at http://tinyurl.com/28tpjc

Burt Hicks, WB6MQV
Amateur Radio Newsline

For those not aware, the nation's Amber Alert System is named in honor of Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas. She was only 9 years old when she was abducted on January 13, 1996. Four days later her body was found in a drainage ditch four miles from her home. Her kidnapping and murder still remain unsolved.

Source: Amateur Radio Newsline, KMQ-TV