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Emergency Communications for the Layman

Learn about different types of communications during emergencies, wireless communication methods, situational awareness, and basic communication etiquette. Discover how to stay informed when traditional communication systems are disrupted by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or power outages. Explore various communication systems like radios, scanners, satellite TV/radios, and the NOAA "All Hazards" Radio.

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Emergency Communications for the Layman

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  1. Emergency Communicationsfor the Layman

  2. Overview • Disasters & Communications • Different Types of Communications • Situational Awareness • Wireless Communications Methods • Communication Basic Terminology • Communication Etiquette – first time users • Training • Your First Radio

  3. Communications DisruptedBy… • Natural Disasters • Lightning • Violet Storms • Flooding • Earthquakes • Man Made • Terrorist Attack • Electric Power Outage • Equipment Failure • Call Volume Overload

  4. Communications Systems

  5. Broadcasting Hurricane Katrina (2005) No local Radios No local TV No Electrical Power No ATMs working No Emergency Broadcast Messages Local TV & Radio Blacked Out

  6. Wireless Broadcast vs 2 Way

  7. Broadcasting - Wireless Situational Awareness • Scanners • AM/FM radios • Emergency Warning System • Satellite TV / radios • Alerts via Internet

  8. Emergency Warning System NOAA“AllHazards” Radio • Weather Alerts from NWS • Rebroadcasts EAS Warnings • Child Abduction (Amber Alert) • Flash Flood Alerts • Earthquakes • Tornado Warnings • Local weather forecast 24 hrs/day • S.A.M.E. (Specific Area Message Encoding)

  9. Broadcast Radio & TV • AM/FM Portable Radio • Portable Local Digital TV (no Analog*) • Satellite • Broadcast Radios (XM / Sirius) • Direct TV • Specialty • Shortwave Radios • Radios with Crank-up power • Scanners • Fire & EMS Dispatch (Trunking) • Police • Amateur Radio

  10. UnidenHomePatrol-1 or -2Scanner Reception for local Police, Fire, EMS, Amateur Radio Motorola APCO 25 Digital, Motorola, EDACS, LTR 3.5" color touch screen LCD display Factory programmed for all known radio systems in the US and Canada Zip code entry for local systems S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert Quick Record and Playback Instant Replay Free Radio System Updates Expensive (model-1: $300 & model -2: $450) Uniden HomePatrol 2 has the same looks and features as the original HomePatrol 1, but adds TDMA Phase 2 capability

  11. HurricaneRita(2005) • Largest evacuation in U.S. History and third largest peacetime evacuation in the world in modern history. • September 22, 2005 – More than 3 million evacuated in Texas and Louisiana including 2.4 million from Houston, Texas. • Transportation issues are emerging as a major after-action agenda item in Texas, where scenes of massive traffic jams were broadcast nationwide as Hurricane Rita approached. ****27 hours to travel 35 miles through the congestion.

  12. HurricaneSandy(2012) • NYC sent alerts before & at height of storm to public, including special needs individuals (165,000 registered users) • CMAS (text to cell phones) for 1st time • Twitter • Email • Landline • Mobile

  13. LocalTwitter(https://twitter.com/) • CLV Emergency Alerts @CLVAlerts • Las Vegas FireRescue @LasVegasFD • Clark County FD @ClarkCountyFD • LVMPD @LVMPD • Clark County Nevada @ClarkCountyNV • NWS Las Vegas @NWSVegas

  14. Wireless Voice Communications • Cell Phone • Satellite Phone • CB • FRS • GMRS • Amateur Radio

  15. Cell Phone • Shared infrastructure with Telephone (landlines) • When telephones are out, cell phones usually are also • Short range (Cell tower must be relatively close) • Battery life limited • Call volume overload very common in emergencies • Cell phone inexpensive $

  16. Satellite Phone • Is a telephone that utilizes satellites orbiting the Earth • Assigned a telephone number for incoming calls • Requires a telephone number to dial out • Cannot be used indoors, without outside antenna • Call volume overload possible in a major emergency • Battery life limited • Satellite phones expensive $$$ • “Air Time” usage is very expensive

  17. Citizens Band Radios Been around for years Radio Equipment: not expensive $$ 5 watts legal limit Range: 4-5 mile range (normally) 40 Channels Channel 9 – for Emergencies only FCC license not required Most conversations not fit for family consumption! CB

  18. FRS • Family Radio Service • Radio Equipment: Inexpensive $ • Millions in use! • Very low power – ½ watt • range (1-2 miles unobstructed) • 14 channels • No FCC license required

  19. GMRS • General Mobile Radio Service • Readily available • Radio equipment: Not very expensive $$ • Power: • 5 watts max on a Handheld (Portable) Radio • 50 watts max on a Base (Mobile) Radio • Range: 5-25 miles (Extended by Repeaters) • Channels • 7 shared FRS channels plus… • 8 GMRS Repeater channels • FCC License required: $65 for 5 years • Covers the whole extended family

  20. Emergency CommunicationsAmateur Radio in Action • Hurricane Katrina - September 2005 • Northeast blackout - August 2003 • Shuttle Columbia recovery effort - February 2003 • World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks-September 2001 • Hurricane Floyd - September 1999 • Oklahoma City Bombing - April 1995 Amateur Radio Operator WTC 2001

  21. Amateur Radio (‘Hams’) • FCC License and call sign required to transmit on Amateur Radio Bands • Lots of Amateur Radio Frequencies • Power: 1,500 watts on some bands • Range: worldwide on some bands • Wide range of cost for equipment, handheld radio can be relatively inexpensive $$$

  22. Amateur Radio License • Technician Class • Entry level • Written Exam • UHF & VHF bands – local communications • General Class • Written Exam • Some HF – worldwide communications • Extra Class • Written Exam • All frequencies in the Amateur Radio Bands ** NO More Morse Code requirements ** Written Examination ($15)

  23. Radio Basics • Repeaters • Duplex vs Simplex • Privacy Tones (PL) • Normal Radio Etiquette • Emergency Communications Etiquette • GMRS Call Sign Required • GMRS Net • GMRS Radio (one example)

  24. What is a Repeater? A Repeater rebroadcasts the radio signal, thus increasing the distance you can communicate.

  25. Duplex: GMRS Repeaters CHListen FreqTalk Freq 1 462.5500 MHz 467.5500 MHz 2 462.5750 MHz 467.5750 MHz 3 462.6000 MHz 467.6000 MHz 4 462.6250 MHz 467.6250 MHz 5 462.6500 MHz 467.6500 MHz 6 462.6750 MHz 467.6750 MHz 7 462.7000 MHz 467.7000 MHz 8 462.7250 MHz 467.7250 MHz

  26. Simplex: GMRS & FRS Shared Freq Channels Listen Freq & Talk Freq FRS-1 462.5625 MHz National SOS Channel FRS-2 462.5875 MHz FRS-3 462.6125 MHz FRS-4 462.6375 MHz FRS-5 462.6625 MHz FRS-6 462.6875 MHz FRS-7 462.7125 MHz (GMRS 5 Watts Allowed )

  27. Privacy Tones • Privacy Tones (also called: Privacy Codes, PL, CTCSS or Tone Squelch) • Like an Electronic Filter • You do not hear them • But they can still hear you

  28. Privacy Tones Repeater (Duplex) Standardized for LV Valley PT: 141.3 Hz on Talk Freq (Required for Repeaters to Hear You!) PT: 141.3 Hz on Listen Freq (Filters out others talking) FRS Shared Channels (Simplex) No Privacy Tones – Recommended

  29. GMRS Repeater Channel #2 • Located on Angels Peak • Good coverage over LV Valley • Useful for Communications from Camp Stimpson, LDS Girls Camp on Mt Charleston, to LV • Can be used for daily radio traffic • During an emergency, communications for assigned LDS Stakes

  30. GMRS Repeater Channel #3 • Located at LV Bishop’s Storehouse • Can be used for daily radio traffic • During an emergency, for communications between • Local Stakes • Local Bishop’s Storehouse

  31. GMRS Repeater Channel #8 • Located at LV Temple • Good coverage over LV Valley • Can be used for daily radio traffic • During an emergency, for communications for assigned Stakes

  32. GMRS Repeaters GMRS repeaters are private property • GMRS frequencies are shared frequencies, but repeaters are not  • Use of repeaters is with owners’ permission

  33. GMRS Communications Etiquette Listen before you transmit. Make sure you aren’t interrupting a conversation.

  34. GMRS Communications Etiquette Do not use the radio to advertise the sale of goods or services.

  35. GMRS Communications Etiquette Use lowest power needed to communicate • FRS (1/2 watt) • GMRS simplex • GMRS repeater

  36. GMRS Communications Etiquette Do not use obscene, indecent, or profane words, language, or meaning.

  37. Emergency Communications Etiquette Good News - You’ll be heard by anyone monitoring the radio frequency! This increases your chances of getting the help you need. Bad News - You’ll be heard by anyone monitoring the radio frequency! No radio communication is truly private, so don’t broadcast sensitive information.

  38. Emergency Communications Etiquette Use plain language. Although you may know the meanings of all the “10 codes” and other radio jargon, the folks you’re trying to talk to may not, or they may know a different meaning altogether.

  39. Emergency Communications Etiquette If you must interrupt for a bona fide emergency, say “Break for a medical emergency” or other appropriate language. The other parties should yield the frequency to you or attempt to assist you.

  40. GMRS Call Sign Requirement GMRS requires FCC Call Sign Every GMRS station must transmit a station identification: (1) Following the transmission of communications or a series of communications; and (2) Every 15 minutes during a long transmission. (FCC code Part 95.119)

  41. GMRS Net • Every Monday night • Check-ins start around 7:15 pm • Currently on GMRS Repeater CH #4a (462.6250 MHz with a PT 167.9 Hz ) • Great time to test your radio equipment on the GMRS repeaters • Get to know other GMRS operators • Some are with Volunteer Organizations • Some are Amateur Radio operators

  42. Emergency Communications Amateur Radio Organizations • Amateur Radio Emergency Services (A.R.E.S.) • Skywarn (National Weather Service) • Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (R.A.C.E.S.)

  43. Emergency Communications Networking

  44. Training

  45. Community Emergency Response Team During a major emergency or disaster, law enforcement, emergency medical services and fire & rescue could be overwhelmed, resulting in a delay in getting to those who need help!

  46. Community Emergency Response Team • CERT training topics include: • Fire safety • Light search and rescue • Disaster medical operations • Terrorism and CERT • CERT Training requires about 24-27 hours provided in weekly sessions. • Training courses, student materials and equipment are provided free of charge

  47. Amateur Radio Relay League Lobby for Amateur Radio in Washington DC* Volunteer Examiner Sponsor Emergency Communications Classes, manuals Emergency Power

  48. Emergency Power • Generator (gas, propane) • Battery 12V (deep cycle) • Solar • Wind • Inverter • SmartCharger

  49. Handheld Radios $ WhatShould I Buy for My First Radio?

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