*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 56769.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov DA 06- 967 Released: May 2, 2006 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SOLICITS ASSISTANCE IN UPDATING COMMERCIAL OPERATOR LICENSE EXAMINATION (COLE) QUESTION POOLS FOR ELEMENTS 7 AND 7R Comment Date: June 1, 2006 Reply Date: June 16, 2006 In furtherance of the Commission’s ongoing commitment to improve upon the content of the Commercial Operator License Examination (COLE), we hereby solicit private sector assistance in updating the COLE question pools for Elements 7 (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) radio operating practices) and 7R (Restricted GMDSS radio operating practices). The Commission’s goal is to ensure that the questions reflect the current duties and responsibilities of commercial radio operator licensees and state- of- the- art technologies. The National GMDSS Implementation Task Force 1 (GMDSS Task Force) has examined the current question pools and submitted for our review revised model test pools for Elements 7 and 7R. It has proposed that we adopt these question pools in their entirety. Accordingly, we seek comment on whether these question pools should be adopted either partially or in their entirety, and whether any changes should be made thereto. In addition, we seek suggestions regarding whether any current questions should be eliminated and any new questions should be added. Each proposed new question must be stated as a complete sentence and include a narrative statement regarding the question’s importance. For each question, the following information must be included: 1. Element number associated with the question. 2. Correct answer and at least three multiple- choice distracters. 3. Name of source document upon which the question is based, and 4. A citation for the correct answer. Interested parties may file comments on the waiver request on or before June 1, 2006. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so on or before June 16, 2006. All comments should reference this Public Notice, including the DA number, and should be filed with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S. W., TW- A325, Washington, D. C. 20054. This address for FCC locations should be used only for documents filed by United States Postal 1 The GMDSS Task Force was chartered by the U. S. Coast Guard to supplement government functions in expediting the implementation of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The Task Force membership includes over 1500 representatives of government agencies, commercial vessel owners and operators, recreational vessel interests, training institutions, service agents, manufacturers, trade associations and maritime labor organizations. 1 Service first- class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail. Hand- delivered or messenger- delivered documents for the Commission's Secretary are accepted only by the Commission’s contractor, Natek, Inc., at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, N. E., Suite 110, Washington, D. C. 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8: 00 a. m. to 7: 00 p. m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering 236 Massachusetts Avenue, N. E. Other messenger- delivered documents, including documents sent by overnight mail (other than United States Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) should be addressed for delivery to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. See FCC Announces a New Filing Location for Paper Documents and a New Fax Number for General Correspondence, Public Notice, 16 FCC Rcd 22165 (2001). The current COLE questions and answers are available on the Commission’s web site at http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ commoperators/ eqp. html. The revised model test pools submitted by the GMDSS Task Force, and all submittals in response to this Public Notice and reply comments, will be available for inspection and duplication during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center (RIC) of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S. W., Room CY- A257, Washington, D. C. 20554. Copies also may be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, S. W., Room CY- B402, Washington, D. C. 20554. Customers may contact BCPI through its web site, http:// www. bcpiweb. com, by email at fcc@ bcpiweb. com, by phone at (202) 488- 5300 or (800) 378- 3160, or by facsimile at (202) 488- 5563. For further information regarding the public reference file for this waiver request, contact Maria Ringold, Chief, Wireless Branch, RIC, (202) 418- 1355. We believe it would be in the public interest to treat this matter as a permit- but- disclose proceeding under the ex parte rules. See Sections 1.1200( a), 1.1206 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. §§ 1, 1200( a), 1.1206. Therefore, subsequent to the release of this Public Notice, ex parte presentations that are made with respect to the issues involved will be allowed but must be disclosed in accordance with the requirements of Section 1.1206( b) of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. § 1.1206( b). For further information, please contact Mr. Ghassan Khalek of the Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418- 2771, TTY (202) 418- 7233, or via e- mail at Ghassan. Khalek@ fcc. gov. By the Chief, Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. -FCC- 2