RACES, administered by local/county/state Emergency Management agencies, with guidance from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is a part of the Amateur Radio Service that
provides radio communications for civil-preparedness purposes only, during periods of local, regional
or national civil emergencies. These emergencies are not limited to war-related activities, but can
include natural disasters such as fires, floods and earthquakes.

    Amateurs operating in a local RACES organization must be officially enrolled in the local civil
 preparedness group. RACES operation is conducted by amateurs using their own primary station
licenses, and by existing RACES stations. The FCC no longer issues new RACES (WC prefix) station
call signs. Operator privileges in RACES are dependent upon, and identical to, those for the class of
license held in the Amateur Radio Service. All of the authorized frequencies and emissions allocated
to the Amateur Radio Service are also available to RACES on a shared basis. But in the event that
the President invokes his War Emergency Powers, amateurs involved with RACES could be limited to
certain specific frequencies (while all other amateur operation would be silenced).While RACES was originally based on potential use for wartime, it has evolved over the years, as has the meaning of civil defense (which is also called civil preparedness), to encompass all types of emergencies.

    While operating in a RACES capacity, RACES stations and amateurs registered in the local RACES
organization may not communicate with amateurs not operating in a RACES capacity. (Of course,
such restrictions do not apply when such stations are operating in a non-RACES--such as ARES--
amateur capacity.) Only civil-preparedness communications can be transmitted (as defined in the
FCC Rules). Test and drills are permitted only for a maximum of one hour per week. All test and drill
messages must be clearly identified as such.