Can you hear me now?

February 12, 2008 7:19 AM

In the aftermath of major natural disasters like, for example, an earthquake, hurricane or tornado, there exist certain conventions and procedures for communication - like, for example, channel 19 on a CB radio, or the emergency broadcast network on TV. When speaking in terms of RADIO-based communication, what are the protocols and technologies that are in place now that are most likely to be used in a crisis such as this? CB? AM/FM?

If I suffered a disaster and I wanted to be in the loop and learn information about where I might go for rescue or aid, and direct contact wasn't viable because I was trapped somewhere, is there some pre-determined set of frequencies and channels where I should be tuning in?

posted by kbanas to technology (14 comments total)

Channel 19 is usually used by truckers communicating, and channel 9 is reserved for emergency use. I would imagine that most people with CBs would attempt to monitor either of those channels.
posted by mkb at 7:29 AM on February 12, 2008

It all depends on how much infrastructure is left over after the event. If there's still the ability to generate electricity, etc.

It's very likely that communication would return to the old sneaker method (traveling to location...making note of settlements...establishing new rudimentary trade routes, etc).

Those left over with enough education in technology would be able to help bring the remaining civilization back up to speed, but I would assume that even a lot of your survivors would die prematurely if they lack basic survival instincts (the infrastructure is gone, so what do you do about illnesses, lack of food supplies, clean water?)

All these variables make it incredibly tough to foresee....but there are countless post-apocalyptic novels that take a jab at it :)
posted by samsara at 7:31 AM on February 12, 2008

[worked with OP to refine his question to something not chatfiltery, carry on]
posted by jessamyn at 8:03 AM on February 12, 2008

Oh MAN jessamyn I had worked up THE coolest follow-up answer before you deleted the last one. I'm going to do all I can to resist posting it here.

Anyway, if it was me, I'd try to find the nearest phone book, and then look up the nearest AM radio station. Head there, try and get the power on, and start broadcasting. You're going to reach the greatest number of receiving devices that way (think about it: car radios, home radios, walkman, etc.). If you pass by the sheriff's office on the way, maybe stop in and try grabbing one of their radios, just to see if they're still around, as they'd be helpful, but you're more likely that someone will hear you broadcasting on the AM.

But watch out for the freakin zombies, man.
posted by allkindsoftime at 8:10 AM on February 12, 2008

Where I work we have a small disaster department. They tend to use Satellite phones and charge them via cigaratte lighter. I really cant comment on how government releif works.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:42 AM on February 12, 2008

Ham radios can operate off of car batteries or small solar panels.
posted by unixrat at 8:49 AM on February 12, 2008

Under the Emergency Alert System all tv and radio stations are required to suspend programming and provide emergency alerts. Is that what you're asking?
posted by hydropsyche at 9:04 AM on February 12, 2008

Ham Radio, without a doubt.
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is active in every state and coordinates with FEMA, The Red Cross, and local response organizations.
It's a volunteer organization that has saved lives in just about every major disaster since the 1930s.
See the below link, or contact your local ham club for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_Radio_Emergency_Service

So far as general information ("The fire has spread to here" /"The storm surge is expected to reach this high") a lot of counties have an official emergency station, usually AM, that will carry traffic like that. You might ask your local emergency preparedness office where to tune in.
posted by madajb at 9:08 AM on February 12, 2008

For similar reasons to mkb's suggestion VHF radio channel 16 (2182 KHz) might be a likely choice. It is both the channel used for raising other parties and that used for mayday signals. It is monitored by Coastguard and military worldwide as well as by owned of VHF transmitters. Any VHF radio you might find should be able to transmit and receive on it. The location of your transmission can also be worked out even if when the transmission is not discernible.
posted by rongorongo at 9:08 AM on February 12, 2008

What sort of post-disaster communications are you thinking about?

I expect that the military and civil bodies have it already worked out how they'd communicate in those scenarios, and private frequencies, and as mentioned there's supposed to be an emergency broadcast system (EBS) plan in place for disseminating information to the public.

Regarding the general public, about the last thing one would want is 80% of the population trying to call in, all saying "help". So I'd hope that most people would not bother trying to do so, except in cases of extreme urgency.

As mentioned, CB has ch 9 for emergencies, marine VHF has ch 16 for emergencies, and amateur radio operators have the knowledge and usually the gear for both short and long-range communication.
posted by Artful Codger at 9:13 AM on February 12, 2008

rongo, marine VHF ch 16 is 156.8 MHz/161.4 MHz.

VHF is essentially line-of-sight, so not good for longer distances

2182 KHz is the international calling and distress frequency for voice maritime communication, part of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System. It is better for long distances.
posted by Artful Codger at 9:20 AM on February 12, 2008

The two answers I were going to give were the Emergency Alert (formerly 'Broadcast') System and ham radio, ARES in particular.

There's a serious question in my mind how well the EAB would actually work in an emergency, especially after an emergency. A lot of the infrastructure is old, and although there are currently some efforts underway to make it more robust, it's sort of designed around a 1960s top-down model. Basically the President (for the national network) or the Governor or their delegate (for a state network) activate it, and it disseminates information to the people via a variety of broadcast media. It doesn't really allow for communication in the two-way sense. It's pretty much an "Attention, citizens! ..." system.

Also, in the case of a major regional disaster where everyone lost power, I'm not sure how much of the system would still work. I think every area is supposed to have a 'primary' EAB radio station with backup power (secondary stations monitor and key their EAB broadcasts from the primary station), but the whole thing has always struck me as overly centralized. It's not a bad system for advance warning of severe weather, but I doubt it would last long in the aftermath of a catastrophe.

I'd say that ham radio would be a big part of any major disaster's communications infrastructure once the main event is over. There are a lot of hams, with a lot of equipment, so it's distributed and redundant. Many people have the capability of operating off the grid, at least for a short time. And the procedures of what to do, and how to efficiently pass information around, are (reasonably) well-rehearsed, at least within organizations like ARES, RACES, and MARS.

Public-service radio (the two-way radios used by the police, fire department, etc.) would also play a role in local communications after a disaster, although many of those systems are dependent on repeaters that might not last long or be vulnerable to the incident itself.

So to answer your question of what you ought to have, to stay informed in an emergency, I'd recommend a wide-band scanner. Ideally, you want to be able to receive the shortwave broadcast band and the HF amateur bands, for long-distance communication and information from outside the disaster area. Then you also want regular commercial broadcast radio, plus the amateur and public-service (sometimes 'land-mobile') VHF and UHF bands. Cheapest way to do this is with two radios -- an inexpensive shortwave receiver that also tunes the low ham bands, and an inexpensive scanner for VHF/UHF. You could probably get both for under $200; a lot less if you shop at hamfests.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:43 AM on February 12, 2008

Thirding madajb and Kadin2048, I'll add that ARES in your area may well have a preplanned set of frequencies that will be the first ones used in the event of a real emergency. We do in New York. Loading those frequencies into your scanner's memories would be a useful step in your disaster preparation. Getting yourself an FCC radio license and actually getting yourself into the loop would be even more useful. Many useful links in the wiki article referenced above :(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_Radio_Emergency_Service).
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:51 AM on February 12, 2008

Well since the wording changed on the original question you can ignore my crazy talk about trade routes, settlements, and rebuilding civilization. The original question was worded more as if this was about a post-apocalyptic event with hardly any survivors. This new one reads more like the event is localized, similar to events like Katrina, which means that support and communication infrastructure would come into play from outside the affected area as well.

Aside from what has been mentioned so far, Satellite phones (which often look like bright orange retro cell phones from the early 90's) are kept on hand at emergency response centers. They can be expensive to own so I wouldn't go out looking to buy one right away. These centers are usually around law enforcement buildings or within campuses, utilizing officers in the area for localized response. From there, it's a crapshoot on what is available depending on the damage that was done. If the towers are up you can then have access to AM/FM radio, as well as CB beacons.

The amount of wireless communications available will vary greatly depending on where you are in the U.S. for obvious reasons (population, availability of repeater towers, location of ERCs and length of time anything electrical can run off of alternate power sources.) In some cases AM on a wind-up radio might be the only way to find help.
posted by samsara at 1:20 PM on February 12, 2008