[CQ-Contest] Disruption of Emergency Communication during CQWW

[Tom Mandera]

> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:16:06 +0100
> From: "Andreas Kretzschmar" <9y4w at gmx.net>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Disruption of Emergency Communication during
> 	CQWW SSB	contest
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Message-ID: <20101111181606.161710 at gmx.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>
>
> areas as part of a disaster relief teams, were able to communicate on 3815
> and give summaries of the situation as well as communicate with their
> respective Emergency Operations Centres.
>
> During the weekend Oct 30./31. 2010 this disaster communication was
> seriously impacted on both 3815 and 7162 kHz by the activities of the CQWW
> SSB contest.

While lid-ish behavior is frowned upon, period, and it would have been
courteous to QSY, did this really disrupt *Emergency* traffic, or traffic
related to a natural disaster but not of an emergency nature?

Where's the line drawn between "Emergency" and "Useful but not
life-threatening"?

Under the FCC "any means necessary when immediate life or property is in
danger" clause, would I have been authorized to operate out of band when
passing this traffic?  If so, that would've also opened up the option of
QSY-ing to the CW sub-bands without repercussions.

I'm curious where the line is drawn.

-Tom, KE7VUX