Choosing the type of Communications based on your Community

Mike from Paratus Radio joins TTF Podcast to discuss emergency communications.

We look at communications based on several community scenarios (size, location, and needs):

• Cul de sac - FRS (walkie talkies)
• Group of farms (1-2 miles) - GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)
• Group of intentional communities (5-10 miles apart) - GRMS with repeater.
• Group of farms or communities (farther than 10 miles) - GRMS with repeater or HAM with repeater, if necessary.
• CB Radio

Why can't we just use our phones?

If power goes out, the cell towers only have 1-2 days of backup power. If the outage extends past this then the cell tower will not function and it won't come back on its own. This may seem unlikely, but it was seen in the ice storm power outages in Feb 2021, and in the power outages due to Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

You can also use these radios to hear National Weather Service and Emergency stations. So these emergency comms should be part of your emergency planning.

Episode website: https://thrivingthefuture.com/community-comms