Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:	In the Matter of Jason M. Frawley, Licensee of Amateur Radio Station WA7CQ, Lewiston, Idaho, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, File No. EB-FIELDWR-21-00032537

If you drive six hours north of Boise, you’ll reach Elk River, Idaho.  It’s the quintessential small town.  On Main Street, you’ll find the city hall and library and if you head around the corner, you’ll see the Fire Department.
Fires are all too common in places like this in the Northwest.  Back in July 2021 a wildfire ravaged more than 1,000 acres just outside of Elk River.  It was an all-hands effort to contain these flames.  The town had help from the United States Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Lands.  To keep the community safe, these authorities worked together to address the burning acreage and coordinate with aircraft in the skies above.  To do this, they relied on radio communications.  In other words, they sought to use public airwaves to keep the public safe.  But their efforts were thwarted by an amateur radio operator who was unlawfully transmitting on frequencies dedicated to public safety.  
You can’t interfere with public safety communications.  Full stop.  So today we propose the largest fine of its type for this interference that put fire suppression and public safety itself at risk.  
Thank you to the Enforcement Bureau staff responsible for this enforcement action, including Sharon Bertelsen, Michael Carowitz, Loyaan Egal, Jeremy Marcus, Janet Moran, Elizabeth Mumaw, Axel Rodriguez, Laura Smith, Ashley Tyson, and the staff from Region Three and the Portland Field Office; as well as Thomas Derenge, Charles Mathias, Roger Noel, Jessica Quinley, and Josh Smith from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau; and William Dever, Douglas Klein, Brendan McTaggart, Linda Oliver, William Richardson, Anjali Singh, and Elliot Tarloff from the Office of General Counsel.


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