OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION KEEP YOU CONNECTED

BY TOM MALONE

© GETTY IMAGES

When planning for survival situations, unexpected emergencies or natural disasters; the basics are usually crossed off the list first. Food, water, shelter and firemaking devices are easy to find and are quickly packed away in a 72-hour bag until needed. One item, however, that many people often overlook when stocking a bug-out bag or emergency kit is communications. We take for granted that our cell phone will always be there and that there’s a working cell tower nearby for it to utilize. Our batteries will stay fresh and our bars plenty.

Emergency situations depend on communication, whether you are talking to your team 10 feet or 10 miles away. If everyone isn’t on the same page, mishaps happen and confusion and misunderstandings are imminent. However, not all communication takes place with electronic devices. Knowing the intricacies of alternative ways of staying in touch may serve you well when good people are put in bad situations.

1.0 FRAGILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Of all the systems we rely on in the modern world, communication is one of the most fragile. These amazing technologies, like cell phones, depend on an incredibly elaborate infrastructure that can be knocked out at any point along the connection.

Cell phones rely on a network of receivers and transmitters that in turn r ely on power systems and computers. Losing just one cell phone tower site can create localized dead spots right where you need to communicate. A large-scale power outage knocks the whole system down so that no one is communicating. And even if the cell phone system is still functioning, during a catastrophe everyone is trying to use the system at once, causing it to jam up. Even if some people are able to communicate, you might not be able to.

If you’re stranded on a roadway during a snowstorm, keep your hazard lights running while you can to improve your chances of getting help and avoiding accident

2.0 TWO-WAY RADIOS

A lack of communication with the outside world during an emergency such as an earthquake or a hurricane can be dangerous, whether important survival information needs to be dispersed to a large group of people or if you just need to let someone know where you are. The most important feature of a radio is the delight of hearing another human being’s voice when you are alone, isolated and desperate to be found.

2.1 FRS Radio

The two-way, short-range radio, specifically a FRS (Family Radio Service) units are a valuable tool. They are easy to use, compact, and some models have an incredible range. The FRS channels sit between 462 and 467 megahertz in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band. By contrast, various devices you buy for home use, such as baby monitors, operate at 49 megahertz, while the citizens band (CB) radio that was so popular in the 1970s operates at 27 megahertz.