Official Observers

Sun sets on the Official Observer program September 30, 2019

September 24, 2019 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

This was forwarded to me by my section manager, Jim, K8JK….Dan

The text below is the official announcement of the retirement of the OO (Official Observer) program as we adopt the new VM (Volunteer Monitor) program on October 1st, 2019.

My personal thanks to our OOC Ken Coughlin, N8KC, and all the Michigan OO’s that devoted time and energy in keeping a watchful eye for the benefit of all amateurs.

Forwarded text below, 73 Jim K8JK

As you are aware, the ARRL has spent more than two years working with the FCC developing an enhanced program to support the FCC Enforcement staff with monitoring and reporting alleged problems arising on the Amateur Radio bands. The time has come to transition from the former Official Observer (OO) program to the new Volunteer Monitor (VM) program. The OO program will officially sunset on Monday September 30, 2019. The new Volunteer Monitor program will become effective on Tuesday October 1, 2019.

At its July 2018 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors authorized the implementation of the new Volunteer Monitor Program and the retirement of the existing OO program at the appropriate time. The new MOU with the FCC establishing the VM program was signed in the spring. On May 14, 2019, a solicitation was made for applications to join the new VM program. Many of you existing OOs applied for the new program after receiving a reminder notice in early July 2019. When the July 15, 2019 application deadline had passed, VM Program Administrator Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, interviewed nearly 200 applicants and began the selection process for the new program. Finally, the new program is ready to start.

The ARRL offers its deepest appreciation and gratitude for the dedicated work by the hundreds of OOs over the years. The cornerstone value of the OO program has always been a dedication to integrity. The good work of the Official Observers over the years was a key element in the corporative alliance between the FCC and the ARRL and led to the resolution of countless on-the-air problems. Whether sending compliance notices or “good operator” cards, you, the Official Observer, worked for the betterment of our hobby.

For those of you that have offered your services in the new VM program, your continued commitment is appreciated and valued. To those who decided not to apply for the new program, it is our sincere hope that you will enjoy exploring new challenges in this wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio.

To the various Section Managers – we appreciate the efforts and energy you committed to growing and supporting the OOs and OO Coordinators in your section. Your part in the maintenance of the OO program helped to guarantee its success. While the new Volunteer Monitor program will be developed and maintained at the ARRL Headquarters level, please offer support and suggestions to the VM Program Coordinator as the program develops.

If you served as a section OO Coordinator, the value of your work to the program may have been unnoticed by some. However, I can assure you that it was seen and appreciated by the ARRL HQ staff as they managed the program’s work.

On a personal note, as the Regulatory Information Manager at ARRL, I have worked with many of you involved with the OO program over the years. While reviewing potential cases to be sent to the FCC for consideration, I never had reason to doubt the integrity or veracity of any of the data received from the hardworking OOs. Please accept my personal thanks for your dedication and commitment over the years.

Good luck and see you on the air!

Dan Henderson, N1ND
Assistant Secretary – American Radio Relay League, Inc.
Regulatory Information Manager
ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio ®
860-594-0236
[email protected]

ARRL Invites Applications for Volunteer Monitor Positions

May 21, 2019 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

From the 5/16/19 ARRL Letter:

ARRL is now accepting applications from individuals interested in becoming part of the new Volunteer Monitor program, a joint undertaking of the FCC and ARRL. The program seeks volunteers who — working under the direction of ARRL — will monitor and survey the Amateur Radio bands both to detect improper activity and to recognize exemplary on-the-air behavior.

Prospective Volunteer Monitors must be ARRL members. They will undergo a training and certification program administered by ARRL, and will be vetted by ARRL through at least one oral interview and a preliminary evaluation by ARRL staff. Such requirements will continue for Volunteer Monitors once they are selected.

Volunteer Monitors will serve 3-year terms at the pleasure of ARRL, and ARRL will reserve the right to terminate the participation of any Volunteer Monitor for any reason.

Volunteer Monitors must be able to utilize state-of-the-art receiving equipment and to access no-cost remote receive sites, if requested. Applicants must possess strong writing and communication skills and an understanding of the importance of thorough documentation. They must have basic word processing and data entry skills and be able to send such information, including recordings, to ARRL electronically.

Applicants must have no history of warning letters or other enforcement-related action from the FCC, must hold a Technician or higher class license, and must have been licensed for at least 3 years.

Applicants should send applications to [email protected] for processing.

In February, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, was named to oversee the development and implementation phases of the Volunteer Monitor program, which will replace the Official Observer (OO) program. Hollingsworth once handled Amateur Radio enforcement for the FCC.

ARRL and FCC sign memorandum to implement new Volunteer Monitor Program

April 19, 2019 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

ZCZC AG14
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 14 ARLB014
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 17, 2019
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB014
ARLB014 ARRL and FCC Sign Memorandum to Implement New Volunteer Monitor Program

ARRL and the FCC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that paves the way to implement the new and enhanced Volunteer Monitor program. The memorandum establishes the Volunteer Monitors as a replacement for the Official Observers (OO) program. Current OOs have been encouraged to participate in the new program.

“We are excited by the opportunity to codify our partnership with the FCC and to work together to achieve our mutual interests of protecting the integrity of our Amateur Radio bands,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. “This Memorandum of Understanding will serve as the foundation for a new level of partnership on this very important issue.”

ARRL has contracted with retired FCC special counsel and former Atlantic Division Vice Director Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, to oversee the ARRL’s role in the development and implementation of the Volunteer Monitor program.

Approved by the ARRL Board of Directors at its July 2018 meeting, the new Volunteer Monitor program is a formal agreement between the FCC and ARRL in which volunteers trained and vetted by the ARRL will monitor the airwaves and collect evidence that can be used both to correct misconduct or recognize exemplary on-air operation. Cases of flagrant violations will be referred to the FCC by the ARRL for action in accordance with FCC guidelines.

The intent of this program is to re-energize enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio bands. It was proposed by the FCC in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field staff.

“Under this program, the FCC will give enforcement priority to cases developed by the Volunteer Monitor program, without the delay of ARRL having to refer cases through the FCC online complaint process,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth has identified three phases to the program: Development, Solicitation and Training, and Implementation.

The Development phase will include drafting a mission statement, clearly defining the ARRL’s and FCC’s requirements and needs as part of the program, writing a job description for volunteer monitors, and developing a training manual for volunteers.
The Solicitation and Training phase will involve identifying the geographic locations where volunteer monitors will be most needed, soliciting applications and guidance from Section Managers in reviewing applicants. (Those currently volunteering as Official Observers are invited to apply for appointment as Volunteer Monitors.)
The Implementation phase will involve having the volunteers provide field reports to ARRL, with staff offering guidance to volunteers to ensure that the information collected meets requirements for FCC enforcement action.

Hollingsworth has committed to FCC and ARRL officials to ensure the adequacy of training for the new positions, to review the quality and utility of Volunteer Monitor submissions to the FCC for enforcement actions, and to advocate for rapid disposition of cases appropriately submitted to the FCC.

ARRL officials estimate that within 6 to 9 months the first Volunteer Monitors will be in place and ready to begin their duties.

NNNN
/EX

ARRL to abolish Official Observer Program

July 26, 2018 By Dan KB6NU 11 Comments

OK, I’ll admit it. The headline was clickbait. It did get you to click, though, didn’t it? :)

Just this morning, Official Observers (OOs) were notified that what had been called the Official Observer Program would morph into the Volunteer Monitoring Program. The text of the email that the ARRL sent out is attached below.

I haven’t read the email in detail, but on the face of it, it seems reasonable enough, except for the sentence, “These “patterned” reports developed over time from individual VMs will be reviewed by ARRL Headquarters staff and forwarded by ARRL staff to FCC for action.” We keep hearing that the ARRL doesn’t have enough staff. How are they going to manage this program on top of the current programs and a more centralized ARES program?

The Creation of a New Volunteer Monitoring Program

To all SMs, OOs and OOCs:

ARRL, and especially its Ad Hoc Committee charged with revitalizing the Official Observer (OO) Program for the future, wants you to know the details of the new Volunteer Monitoring (VM) Program right away. At its July 2018 meeting just concluded, the ARRL Board of Directors approved a plan submitted by our Committee for the establishment of a new VM Program. This will be quite different from the OO Program that was created back in 1982. Based on extensive negotiations with the FCC, the new VM Program will improve the level of enforcement in the Amateur Service for years to come. It will help to fill the gap created two years ago when FCC closed many of its own field offices and retired much of its staff. That had the unfortunate effect of reducing its ability to respond to Amateur Radio enforcement problems.

The philosophy of the new program is simple. The success that Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, had with Amateur enforcement over a ten-year period was due to rapid, visible response to significant, repeated enforcement issues. It is urgent that the new ARRL VM Program provide a means of doing the advance work for the FCC, especially in areas where there now are no nearby FCC field offices. Volunteer Monitors (VMs) will develop “patterned” reports of predicted times, days, bands, frequencies, transmitter locations or azimuths (if known) and types of operation of rule violators who act on a repeated basis. These “patterned” reports developed over time from individual VMs will be reviewed by ARRL Headquarters staff and forwarded by ARRL staff to FCC for action. This will allow FCC staff to very specifically empower its remaining field office personnel to gather evidence (which FCC has decided it must do for itself in every case) to cause enforcement actions to take place. We are assured that each patterned report will result in some contact by FCC with the subject of the complaint. Coordination of cases and evidence gathering will be the responsibility of the staff at ARRL headquarters and the FCC will retain the responsibility for the final decision on which cases they will take enforcement action.

So, working closely with FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, we have revised the concept for the Program going forward. At FCC’s recommendation, the OO program will be terminated soon and the VM program initiated simultaneously. There will be a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the FCC which is in the process of negotiation now. We will recruit a new roster of VMs, which will be much smaller than the current cadre of OOs. We want existing OOs to apply to become VMs, and we want SMs to recommend to us good candidates, known to them, for the VM Program. Not all who apply will be chosen to serve as VMs. The need to keep the total number of VMs small is to ensure that the program is manageable and efficient. VMs will be selected in part on geographic location, so that there are always VMs where needed and where the FCC isn’t present regularly. As they have done in the past, under the new Volunteer Monitor Program, ARRL Section Managers will continue to recommend qualified potential candidates from their Sections. We do not know the exact number of Volunteer Monitor positions necessary for the new program at this time. The final determination will be based on desirable geographic distribution. We expect there to be approximately 200 to 250 Volunteer Monitors in the new program, replacing the more than 700 in the OO program now.

We are in the process of revising the Training Manual for new VMs and we will establish a vetting process that will include telephone interviews of applicants for the VM program. All VMs will do their work anonymously. There will be identification numbers assigned to each VM and the VM roster will be known to ARRL only. There will be regular training sessions and ARRL staff will be in regular contact with the VMs to help coordinate their volunteer work on air so that multiple VMs are not working on the same case at the same time. We do not anticipate the need for a VM Coordinator since the program will be centralized, administered by ARRL staff. The training program, which is anticipated to be vigorous, will help identify the types of cases and specific information required in order to present significant violations to the FCC for ultimate action.

We plan to do training on a regular, ongoing basis, and FCC’s Enforcement Bureau staff will be working with us on regular webinars. VMs will serve for limited terms and apply regularly for reappointment. Participation in the training sessions will be one of the major criteria used to evaluate the performance of a Volunteer Monitor over time.

The task of observing and identifying significant and repetitive violations of Part 97 rules and regulations and reporting them in a structured way to FCC via ARRL staff is not the only function of a VM. The work will also include, for those so inclined, direction finding to determine the location of the rule violator. Carried over from the OO program will be the preparation of FSD-213 Advisory Notices and FSD-15 Good Operator Reports to be sent as appropriate, via ARRL Headquarters. These peer-to-peer notices of the existing Amateur Auxiliary are a core component of the goal of keeping our amateur frequencies operating within the Part 97 rules. In addition the Local Interference Committees, which are another part of the current Amateur Auxiliary, will also continue to be used at the local and section levels.

It is important to note that until the new Volunteer Monitoring program is started in the next few months, current Official Observers and Official Observer Coordinators should continue to perform their important work. The ARRL wants to express its deep appreciation to all who are serving or have served as OOs or OOCs over the years for everything they have done to ensure proper amateur radio operations within established regulations and to encourage good operating practices. This work has been, and is, invaluable in providing effective monitoring of the Amateur frequencies and helping ham radio operators obey the rules. The goal of the OO program since its inception in 1982 was to encourage and promote compliance. While we have not always had the level of enforcement assistance we would ideally like from the FCC, overall, Amateur Radio is an exceptionally rule-compliant radio service, and that fact is largely due to the work, over the past 36 years of the OOs and OOCs.

As previously noted, the final details of the new Memorandum of Understanding with the FCC on this issue are still being ironed out. We are also still working out the details of the screening process for candidates as well as how the day to day operation of the new program will be administered. More information will be made available as we approach the initialization of the program sometime after the ARRL and the FCC have completed the MOU.

Underpinning all of this is the understanding that, for more than 36 years, the ARRL Official Observer program has aided thousands of amateurs in maintaining their transmitting equipment and keeping their operating procedures in compliance with FCC regulations.

ARRL and the FCC expect the new Volunteer Monitoring program will continue this high standard and will provide the amateur radio community with a heightened level of service.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to modernize the Official Observer program, making it better equipped to meet the needs of the FCC and its Enforcement Bureau, our served agency. The new Volunteer Monitoring program is designed to better meet the needs enumerated by the FCC in the changing arena of amateur radio enforcement and compliance. As we finalize the new program and begin its implementation, we will work to keep you – the current field leadership and appointees – informed of the changes. This is a unique opportunity presented by the FCC to strengthen the atmosphere of compliance on our bands. We hope that when we begin solicitation of new volunteers for the Volunteer Monitor program that current OOs and OOCs will consider the criteria for the new program and decide to apply.

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND at ARRL Headquarters at 860-594-0236 or [email protected]

Respectfully,

Members of the ARRL Ad Hoc Committee on Revitalizing the Amateur Auxiliary Program:
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH
Dan Henderson N1ND
Steve Ewald, WV1X
Chris Imlay, W3KD
Kermit Carlson, W9XA
Tom Abernethy, W3TOM
Bob Vallio, W6RGG

Other blog posts about the Official Observer program:

ARRL Executive Committee addresses membership growth, FCC cooperation

April 6, 2017 By Dan KB6NU 2 Comments

The meeting minutes for the March 25, 2017 meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors Executive Committee were just published. Two items caught my eye:

In the CEO report, there was this little gem:

The membership working group (that presented in January during the Board meeting) continues to work toward identifying ways to grow membership, especially among former members or never members.

I love the fact that they are addressing this issue. I still think that they should set a goal, and in the past, I’ve suggested a goal of 25% of licensed radio amateurs.

The CEO report goes on to say, “They are developing a ‘life-long learning’ plan to encourage activity and development among all age groups.” While that’s a worthy goal, I don’t think that’s what is going to get more hams to join the ARRL.

ARRL and FCC

The other item that was interesting to me was the report of the General Counsel, Chris Imlay, W3KD:

Mr. Imlay presented the report of the General Counsel. He was complimentary of new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and thinks enforcement efforts might be more successful due to Mr. Pai’s interest in the issue. The new Enforcement Bureau chief is also reported to be more “amateur friendly.” New opportunities seem to be emerging for cooperative efforts with the FCC in what Mr. Imlay described as a potential window of opportunity for better spectrum enforcement work, as well as building a better working relationship with the Commission on all issues.

Personally, all that I’ve heard about Mr. Pai so far has been negative. He opposes net neutrality rules, while I don’t know his personal opinion on the recent Senate action to unravel the Net privacy rules, I’d assume that if he had been opposed to it, the Senate wouldn’t have rushed to pass this legislation.

What is interesting is that work continues on a new memorandum of understanding between the ARRL and FCC. This could bring new responsibilities for the ARRL’s Official Observers. ARRL Second Vice President Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, is heading up this effort and says that his committee plans to present final recommendations later this year on revamping the Amateur Auxiliary, for ultimate consideration by the full Board.