Important Points You Can Communicate to Your Elected Officials

When you call or write your state senator and representative, here are some suggestions for important points you may want to mention, in your own words:

• This legislation does not apply to CB radio and other operators that may erect towers. It applies only to Radio Amateurs who are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and who must pass rigorous testing to prove their knowledge of antenna theory and safety.

• As of August 2000, there are 13,855 licensed Radio Amateurs in Tennessee.

• Amateur Radio provide communication support to government and private relief agencies in times of major local and national disaster.

• We are an important part of disaster plans of many Tennessee communities.

• To facilitate Amateur Radio emergency communications, formal agreements exist between Amateur organizations and the National Weather Service, the American National Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, among others.

• Amateur Radio operators have made valuable contributions to the science of radio through experimentation and innovation.

• Our continued contributions to public service depend on our ability to erect adequate antennas to meet our communications needs.

• This legislation is intended to protect us from local ordinance that are often passed without an understanding of the importance of Amateur Radio, and the technical and safety considerations that go into antenna design.

• This legislation helps Tennessee conform to federal law, as the Federal Communications Commission has already recognized the duty of local governments to reasonably accommodate Amateur antennas.

For additional resources about the importance of Ham Radio, visit the ARRL’s site.