How do you plan to get information if there is a Regional,
or heaven forbid...a National Disaster? There are many situations that
could cause the flow of information to stop completely. I'm a curious
guy. I like to know what's going on, when stuff's going down.
So many people think that if the telephone system goes
down, they'll use their cell phone. Not so fast! There are
many stories about what happened to phone systems during and after Hurricane Katrina,
and September 11th. "After the attack, the cell phone network of
New York City was rapidly overloaded as traffic doubled over normal levels.
Cell phone traffic also overloaded across the East Coast leading to crashes of
the cell phone network"
What do you plan to do when the telephone and the cell
phone infrastructure goes down?
How about the internet?
One of the most important things to have is an emergency
communications plan. It probably seems like overkill for a family to
have, but it is a necessity that is often overlooked. Something even
as simple as an In-State and Out-of-State telephone contact can make
all the difference. If you get separated from a family member, and
the phones are going up and down Statewide, you find a way to check in
with your Out-of-State contact and your family members do the same.
The Out-of-State contact acts as the relay for information.
There are a few options that I think will still be reliable
in the wake of a disaster. Many families have FRS
and GMRS Radios
(walkie
talkie). For the most part, Radio to Radio communications will help us to
share information within the neighborhood.
Lately I've been spending a lot of time learning about Amateur Radio for emergency communications. I
believe this is the way to go in the long run. I am a licensed Amateur
Radio Operator. There is a great group of active HAMs where I
live. In fact we all check in each Tuesday night at 9:00 pm to what is
called a NET. This NET includes Radio Operators spread out
over a 30 mile valley. Participating in the weekly net allows us to
get to know other HAMs in the area, but more importantly, it gives us a chance
to get to know our radios.
While it is true that you need to be licensed to participate
in HAM Radio, you to not have to be licensed to listen. I will make some
recommendations a little later on for purchasing a relatively inexpensive HAM
radio that will allow you to "be in the know".
I will post my emergency communication plan as soon as I
clean it up.
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