12/14/1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BOOK 91 `,, GE 286 The antenna towers mounted on the old hospital building would be demolished should Vero Beach suffer.the attack of a hurricane, leaving the emergency management radio room useless. EMERGENCLY CU;114UNILATIUNS FOR LIFE & :JELFARE '16ULD DEFEND SOLELY ON THE RADIO AMATEUR AND HIS ANTENNA SYSTP1. Doesn't it make sence, not to put a o your eggs in one as et? 'Ind have a back-up of all of the radio operators with their stations and antennas? The chances of all of the antenna towers being destroyed in a hurricane is slim , therefore some radio amateurs will be able to handle emergency traffic. Bear in mind, the Radio Amateur performs a public Service at NO CHARGE to the community. He has invested thousands of Dollars in station equipment and antenna towers to supply this SERVICE. In addition has prepared himself for this duty, with hundreds of hours of training, so to be ready in time of emergency. It is a known fact, the higher the antenna, the greater the distance of communication. I therefore suggest and hope that you be guided by th FCC guidlines relating to antenna tower heights. Yours truly, Mr. Smith explained that Radio Amateur Civil Emergency. Service (R.A.C.E.S.) is an arm of Federal Emergency Management and Indian River Emergency Services. Mr. Smith gave details of how amateur radio operators assist in emergencies and in emergency preparedness drills as well as in public service. He urged the Board to delete any reference to amateur radio operators in the proposed amendment to the LDR so that R.A.C.E.S. and the affiliated groups and agencies can continue their activities. Molly Hench, representative of the American Red Cross, urged the Board to support the amateur radio operators. She explained that in times of disaster when the phone lines go out, Red Cross headquarters and their 22 shelters in the county depend on the amateur radio operators for communication. Jim Arnold, vice president of the Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club, member of the Treasure Coast Repeater Association and FCC licensed ham radio operator, urged the Board to exempt amateur radio operators from any ordinances. He advised that the FCC has a height limit of 200 feet for an amateur radio operator's antenna. The primary reason that amateur radio operators have only a 100 - foot tower is because a 200 -foot tower is prohibitively expensive. There are very few amateurs in the county who have towers over 70 feet high, and there is not a waiting list of operators to erect 200—foot towers. Being licensed by the FCC means they follow regulations on a federal level. Their communications are not only 14