Disaster CommunicationsDisaster Communications

ObjectivesObjectives

● Become familiar with types of disaster communication

● See strengths and weaknesses of different radio frequency bands and where the different radio types fall in the spectrum

● Learn about radio channels and codes● Touch on disaster communication programs

Note: This is not the Basic Radio class required to attain the Dallas CERT “member” level

Communications at a Disaster SiteCommunications at a Disaster Site

● Face-to-face● Messenger● Land lines● Cell phones● Internet● Radios

Face-to-FaceFace-to-Face

● Restricted to short distances● Shouting adds to confusion

MessengerMessenger

● Longer distance than face-to-face● Time v. distance● Chance the message or reply will be

garbled● How many messengers do you have?

Land LinesLand Lines

● Also known as POTS (Plain Old Telephone System)

● Are not mobile● May be underground

Not susceptible to being blown down

● May be unusable due to power outage● You may not have all the phone numbers

you need

Cell PhonesCell Phones

● Cell towers may be down or without power● If phone service is down or slow, you might be able

to text Differences between voice and text

● Long-term events present battery problems● You may not have all the phone numbers you need

● Using cell phones and land lines is OK to: Activate CERT team members Connect CERT team to the Emergency Operations Center

InternetInternet

● Might be wired or wireless Same vulnerabilities as land lines and cells

● Email● Texts may get through if email won’t● Social media

RadiosRadios

● Citizen’s band (CB)

● Business

● Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)

● Responder

● Family Radio Service (FRS)

● General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)

● Nextel Direct Talk

● Amateur (Ham)

The Electromagnetic SpectrumThe Electromagnetic Spectrum

Radio Frequency SpectrumRadio Frequency Spectrum

Freq

3 KHz

30 KHz

300 KHz

3 MHz

30 MHz

300 MHz

3 GHz

30 GHz

300 GHz

Very Low Frequency (VLF)

Low Frequency (LF)

Medium Frequency (MF)

High Frequency (HF)

Very High Frequency (VHF)

Ultra High Frequency (UHF)

Super High Frequency (SHF)

Extra High Frequency (EHF)

Most Disaster Communications

Wavelen

100 km

10 km

1 km

100 m

10 m

1 m

100 cm

10 cm

1 cm

Radio Frequency CharacteristicsRadio Frequency Characteristics

HF VHFUHF3 MHz 30 MHz 300 MHz 3 GHz

Worse Building Penetration Better

Farther Distance Travels Less Far

Citizen’s Band (CB) RadiosCitizen’s Band (CB) Radios

● No license required● 40 channels● 26.965 MHz – 27.405 MHz (HF)● Power limit of 4 watts AM; 12 watts SSB● CB is old technology● HF does not penetrate structures well

Business RadiosBusiness Radios

● May be restricted by licensing● Various frequencies from 30 MHz to 989

MHz (HF – UHF)● Power limits vary with frequency

● Note: If life or property is at risk in a disaster, FCC licensing is not an issue for ALL radios.

Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) RadiosMulti-Use Radio Service (MURS) Radios

● Recent, established in 2000● No license required● 5 channels● 151.820 MHz – 154.600 MHz (VHF)● 154.xxx Mhz shared w/ business band● Power limit of 2 watts

Responder RadiosResponder Radios

● Responder radios are restricted by law to responders

● Typically VHF● In some jurisdictions, responder radios

may be available to CERT for liaison use

Family Radio Service (FRS) RadiosFamily Radio Service (FRS) Radios

● No license required● 14 channels● 462.5625 MHz – 467.7125 MHz

(UHF)● Power limit of 500 mw (1/2 watt)● Short range – “line of sight”● FRS channels 1-7 are shared with GMRS channels

9-15

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) RadiosGeneral Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) Radios

● FCC license, 5 years w/fee ($85 currently)● Unique call sign per license● License covers business and personal use by

immediate family members● 15 channels● 462.5500 MHz – 462.7250 MHz (UHF)● Power limit of 50 watts (ch 1-8); 5 watts (ch 9-15)● Short range – “line of sight”● Can make use of repeaters to extend range, but repeaters

may be down in a disaster● GMRS channels 9-15 are shared with FRS channels

1-7● No license needed if 500 mw power is not exceeded● Combined FRS/GMRS radios are good for your own go-kit

Nextel Direct Talk RadiosNextel Direct Talk Radios

● Walkie Talkie feature of [decommissioned] cell phones

● No license required● 10 channels● 902 MHz - 928 MHz range (UHF)● Nextel i355 power is 890 mw (.89 watt)● Short range – “line of sight”● Dallas CERT has about 60 Nextel i355 units for use

during deployments

Amateur (Ham) RadiosAmateur (Ham) Radios

● FCC licensing is required and obtained through training, passing written exam(s), and paying fees (currently $15 per exam)

● Three levels of amateur radio license – technician, general, amateur extra

● Licenses are good for 10 years● Unique call signs are assigned to each licensee● Ham radio is granted for access to a wide range of frequencies

available to amateur operators (LF – EHF)● Disaster operations mostly limited to HF – UHF● Power limit of 1500 watts● Can reach thousands of miles, depending on power and antenna● Communications can use repeaters, digital modes, and a variety of

special applications, including video and GPS, which allows them to be tracked

ChannelsChannels

● A channel is an assigned frequency● Assigned by:

FCC Radio manufacturer

Channel/frequency pair may vary by radio model

● Example: A Cobra 15-channel GMRS model would need to be tuned to channel 11 in order to communicate with a Cobra 22-channel FMS/GMRS model tuned to channel 15 (FCC GMRS channel 1: 462.5500 MHz)

FCC FRS/GMRS ChannelsFCC FRS/GMRS Channels

FCC # FRS GMRS

01 FRS 1 GMRS 9

02 FRS 2 GMRS 10

03 FRS 3 GMRS 11

04 FRS 4 GMRS 12

05 FRS 5 GMRS 13

06 FRS 6 GMRS 14

07 FRS 7 GMRS 15

FCC # FRS

08 FRS 8

09 FRS 9

10 FRS 10

11 FRS 11

12 FRS 12

13 FRS 13

14 FRS 14

FCC # GMRS

15 GMRS 1

16 GMRS 2

17 GMRS 3

18 GMRS 4

19 GMRS 5

20 GMRS 6

21 GMRS 7

22 GMRS 8

Remember: Channel x on your radio may not be on the same frequency as channel x on the next person’s radio.

Privacy CodesPrivacy Codes

● Can be entered for channels on some devices

● Reduce interference, do not secure transmission

● FRS/GMRS/Amateur Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS)

– up to 42 codes Digitally Coded Squelch (DCS) – up to 103 codes

● Nextel Direct Talk Digital – up to 15 codes

Channel SharingChannel Sharing

● FRS/GMRS/Amateur Only one person can talk on a channel Even if a privacy code is used

● Direct Talk One person can talk per channel/code

combination

Disaster Communication ProgramsDisaster Communication Programs

● Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)

● Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

● SKYWARN®

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)

● Created by FEMA and the FCC● Volunteer operators are:

Licensed radio amateurs Certified by a civil preparedness agency Able to communicate on amateur radio frequencies during

drills, exercises, and emergencies Activated by local, county, and state jurisdictions The only amateur radio operators authorized to transmit

during emergencies when the President invokes the War Powers Act

● Part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

● Not government affiliated; therefore, may activate before RACES.

● Part of a national structure formulated by the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL)

● Volunteer operators are: Licensed radio amateurs Any ham may be an ARES member Able to communicate on amateur radio frequencies

during drills, exercises, and emergencies

● In jurisdictions with RACES, many hams belong to both ARES and RACES

SKYWARN®SKYWARN®

● Established by National Weather Service

● Volunteer program, not a club or organization

● SKYWARN spotters identify and describe severe local storms

● Class is free from NWS and is two hours long (advanced class is available)

● In Dallas county, RACES membership is required if you report by amateur radio

SummarySummary

● At a disaster site Find out what communications are available Be prepared to use a radio

● Know (or find out) about the radio you are given Type, band, power, range, channel, code

● If you’re interested, consider amateur radio● If already a ham, consider RACES/ARES

Questions?Questions?