Keeping communications lines open during disasters
Depending on where you are and when you read this, Hurricane Irene may be approaching. As I write, at press time, Irene has just unleashed her wrath on the Bahamas and is moving to the north and northwest toward the Mid-Atlantic States and New England.
These are the times we’re reminded to plan ahead for disasters, including building kits with three days’ worth of bottled water and canned goods, utensils, a battery operated radio, blankets and so forth. We should also think ahead as to how we’ll find family, friends and co-workers using whatever communications method(s) might be left available to us after disaster strikes.
IN DEPTH: Dealing with disruption
If cellular reception is working and your device is charged, you might be able to communicate at least for the battery life of your phone if power lines are down, unless the airwaves get so crowded all you get is a busy signal, which is typical.
The mobile network operators do roll out portable cell towers, called cellular on wheels (CoWs), in the locations hardest hit by natural disasters to add calling capacity. But there usually aren’t enough to cover all the places that need them. So you might want to have backup communications in place for communicating with family and first responders.
A blogger friend, Dave Powell, who is also a communications expert, asserts that communications is an often overlooked disaster planning component in families and small businesses, and suggests considering the addition of walkie-talkies, satellite phones or even ham radios (if you have a ham operator in your midst) to your survival kits.
His ideas are practical and he offers quite a comprehensive look — I’d almost call it a full-fledged buyer’s guide — of devices and services, tips and tricks in his most recent post. For example, today’s walkie-talkies cost up to $70 for two hand-held units and can cover distances up to 36 miles using radio signals that don’t depend on any other communication service.
Satellite phones are more expensive, around $200 and up. But strategically placing individual units at a few people’s homes and then having a “phone chain” in place for one family to relay information to the next and so forth is what Powell recommends for minimizing the number of phones needed and connection service charges.
And the world’s ham radio operators are good to know. Many have established ham radio networks specifically for use in emergencies, which will have to tide many of us over until the U.S. decides to dedicate the 700MHz of D Block spectrum to a nationwide public safety network. But that’s another story. I hope this one finds you well and unharmed by Mother Nature.
