Sunday, February 9, 2014

Emergency Communication Equipment Is Important

By Serena Price


Making Contact with Emergency Communication Equipment during a disaster is crucial. Being able to connect with loved ones, staying informed as to the situation, and possibly coordinating with relief crews is vital to your safety. Most communication channels will be down during a crisis so having a ham radio, satellite phone, walkie-talkie, cell phone, or hand crank radio in your preparedness bag can give you peace of mind and even save your life.

The one option used for over 100 years during every disaster in the United States of America is the Ham Radio. They operate on a wide variety of frequencies ranging from above the AM broadcast band to the microwave region. These are short wave bands and bounce off the ionosphere from the transmitter to the antenna of the receiver's unit. In order to transmit longer distances, they use a repeater which receives the signal then rebroadcast it over and over again. Also some operators use Morse code which can often get through when voice transmission cannot. The Short Wave Radio has an internal battery or generator so outside power is not required.

A Satellite Phone does not rely on cell networks in order to operate. Instead they connect to orbiting satellites and provide the same functions a cell phone offers. These are voice, short messaging and limited internet. Any overload to the cell phone network will not have an effect on this option. As long as the satellites are orbiting the earth you will be able to make use of this option.

Walkie-Talkies are hand held two-way radios. Battery operated, these do not use cell towers or phone lines. As long as there are no large obstacle such as buildings, a mountain, or large grouping of trees, a person can speak with another person 1 mile up to 35 miles away.

Though the previous recommendations are for items that do not use the same network as a cell phone, that does not mean cell phones cannot still be useful during a disaster. Text messages and the internet use different bandwidth than voice calls do so if the network should be overloaded, you can still get a text message through. You should also be able to access the internet through your data plan to communicate with others. Do not forget that social media has proven to be useful in the past during times of crisis.

A Hand crank radio is a smart investment when putting together an preparedness kit. The first and obvious reason is because it does not require any batteries or electricity to operate. Often there will be a built-in port to allow the charging of cell phones, an LED reading lamp, flashlight, and flashing red emergency light, preset stations for receiving weather information. Most importantly many models have a solar panel for power. .

Which ever equipment you choose, store plenty of batteries. Check them according to manufactures instructions to ensure they are fresh when needed. Also, invest in a solar converter to ensure you will be able to operate your equipment.

During a natural or man-made disaster Making Contact with Emergency Communication Equipment is going to be vital. Be certain you have been properly trained in how to use your equipment. Also have plenty of batteries and a solar converter on hand in order to keep the lines of communication open.




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