Radio Communications in Emergencies

Give the current situation with the US economy many people are looking into emergency and disaster preparedness. Always on the prowl for ways to serve the needs of our customers, we at CB World have looked through our inventory for items that might be useful in an emergency situation. Hopefully, you never have to ask these questions, but if you do here is how we would answer:

Q: How will I get information during a disaster or emergency?

A: One very good, reliable source of information during an emergency situation is a radio that will pick up The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) broadcasts. The NOAA is a government entity that, among other things, operates a network of 1000+ radio transmitters throughout the country used for broadcasting various emergency transmissions. They report on weather events, technological events (chemical spill, oil spill, train derailments, etc), AMBER alerts, and terrorist attacks. A number of weather and all hazards radios are available that pick up this info. Also, any Uniden Scanner will pick up these transmissions.

Q: How will I communicate with others if telephone service is interrupted?

A: It is certainly a frightening prospect to be left alone in an emergency situation with no way to contact the outside world. If you have a good emergency radio on hand, you will know what is going on, but what if you need to call for help? If you have a CB radio your chances of making contact with someone is greatly increased. Outside of FRS and GMRS radios (common walkie talkies), which are limited in range, CB radio is still the most widely used form of radio communication today. Truck drivers, military, police, fire/rescue, work crews, and hobbyists all use them regularly. Also, police monitor emergency channels 9 and 19 constantly.

Q: What types of radios will be best in an emergency?

A: Because of how common they are, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep a pair of FRS/GMRS radios around. Besides being useful in an emergency, these radios can be used everyday at sporting events, job sites, fun for the kids, as baby monitors, camping/hiking trips, theme parks, etc. A major setback of these radios is range. For more range, you could go with a ham(10 meter) or CB radio. Ham radios will get the most range, as they have less restriction for output power. A CB is limited to 4 watts output by the FCC. This limits there range to around 5 miles with a good antenna. A handheld ham with a good antenna outputting 5 watts can transmit up to 15 miles. Of course the range is useless if no one else has the radio. CB is more widely used than ham radios. Operating a ham radio requires an FCC license. CB does not. So the short answer would be; get a set of FRS/GMRS radios radios and a handheld CB radio. You are certain to find someone to talk to when you need it!