Red Cross drops 'lifestyle' checks on ham radio volunteers

In a surprise move, the American Red Cross has acquiesced to the demands of the ham radio community and will no longer perform so-called lifestyle background checks on hams who want to provide communications to the relief agency.

Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, of the ARRL Letter says that the announcement came at a most apropos time and place:

Keane: "We had a big announcement yesterday in the ARES forum. The Red Cross has announced that it will no longer conduct as part of its background checks, mode of living checks or credit checks. And now, all that remains to be done is for the ARRL and the Red Cross to hammer out an MOU and get this thing going."

The MOU that K1SFA reefers to is the Memorandum of Understanding between the League and the Red Cross. A fancy term that really means an agreement where-in the ARRL and the American Red Cross agree to work together in those situations where volunteer ham radio communications are needed.

Such an agreement was in place for many years but the League was hesitant to renew it after members complained about background checks initiated back in 2006. Nobody minded criminal background checks but a lot of folks objected to the extent the Red Cross was going to. Its background checks included, among other things, a credit check and a mode of living check for its staff and volunteers. This included ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross during times of disasters.

The ARRL and a lot of radio hams not associated with the League considered the extent of the Red Cross background check as unneeded and inappropriate for communications volunteers. So in November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red Cross regarding concerns voiced by the nation's ham radio community.

But until a few weeks ago the American Red Cross was hanging tough and refusing to use hams who refused to permit the full background check program. That all changed on May 8th when Armond Mascelli, who is American Red Cross Vice President for Disaster Response Services finally replied to W5ZN with word that his organization had reconsidered its position.

Mascelli's letter stated that the portion of the background checks that the ARRL and seemingly all of ham radio objected to had been eliminated. At least eliminated for communications volunteers involved through the ARRL-sponsored ARES program.

According to Mascelli, a new background consent form will be used by all Red Cross chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related process is limited to the name and social security number verification of the individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to other related investigative possibilities have been stricken from the form.

Source: ARNewsline, ARRL