Minimal. Individual Preparation for Emergency Radio

EMCOMM Basic Facts

I have seen many concepts for emergency radio communications (EMCOMM). Often, they are, at best, collections of topics. Hardly any two of them are even remotely similar. In my opinion, this is because practically all of them start in a vacuum. Yet I see a clear basis that differs only slightly from country to country.

Hardly anyone will do EMCOMM unless they know their family is safe and cared for.

The foundation of every EMCOMM concept must therefore be to encourage radio amateurs and their families to stock up on supplies and take other disaster preparedness measures. That is why I first wrote the Disaster Preparedness chapter of this website (see German version).

An important principle of disaster preparedness is not to run away in an emergency, but to stay in your familiar surroundings and your infrastructure if possible. Of course, you have to escape a flood zone or a forest fire. But otherwise, you're best off at home. This is especially true if you are not under 30 or have a family.

The official services hardly wants to know anything about us anymore in disaster situations.

Anyone who absolutely wants to be at the forefront of disasters should become a member of a fire brigade, Red Cross etc. Only then will they be allowed to participate in a platoon. Whether they then use the infrastructure of the service to operate radio is a completely different matter. Volunteer organizations rely on the expertise and enthusiasm of its active members.

These services is highly professionalized. If amateur radio wants to play a role, it must also operate highly professionally. We do not even have the necessary personnel:

• Each position must always be staffed by two people, who work in three shifts and have to be replaced after a few days.
• Assuming 10 radio stations, that are 2 x 3 x 10 people, or 60 people who have to be replaced every 3-4 days.

That does not even include management personnel. This personnel may need to be available at short notice without the individuals having to be released from their duties by their employers.

The emergency services only contact us when their own communications infrastructure collapses. But that cam happen much faster than many responsible parties realize, the majority of TETRA base stations have no emergency power generators. This brings us to the next point:

We are many, and we are already there.

For us, this means:

• As many radio amateurs as possible must be motivated to keep a handheld radio, including additional batteries, handy and operational.
• A relatively dense network of relay stations with emergency power supplies must be established. This is much easier than most relay operators imagine: Turn off the standard relay electronics, which are idle for at least 23 hours a day anyway. Switch the relay antenna to a handheld radio, which, together with a small computer (Arduino, Raspberry Pi Zero, etc.), receives its own power. If someone wants to activate the relay, they receive a status message via the handheld radio (e.g., with the CTCSS tone!). At the same time, the small computer starts up the standard relay electronics and switches the antenna. The handheld radio and the small computer can perform other important tasks, such as alerting hams to the next emergency radio round or specific hazards in an emergency.
• As many radio amateurs as possible must be motivated to practice appropriate operating techniques.

What we can realistically offer is only what as many of us as possible have and know. Only a minority of stations will be able to offer significantly more.

As much as possible at the higher levels must then be digitized, because the number of stations and, above all, the number of suitable personnel is very limited. Whether Winlink, VarAC, JS8, or something else will be used will only become clear in an emergency. However, the technical basis is almost always the same, which is why I wrote the article Three Years of "Emergency Radio Ready" (not yet translated, German version:

• An emergency power supply that lasts as long as possible, and around the clock if necessary.
• A computer with pre-installed programs such as Winlink Express, JS8Call, VarAC, FLDIGI, etc., including an audio and CAT interface.
• At least two OMs who can operate it all.

For those who haven't figured it out yet: We will probably primarily focus on welfare traffic. However, I see almost no organizational preparations for this.

Welfare traffic without integration into local/political structures is dangerous.

Let's first note:

• Welfare traffic only becomes an issue after some time. Whether that's 12 hours or 3 days will be determined on a case-by-case basis. After typically five days, afety conditions migh get difficult.
• If no one knows about our options, no one will use them. Hanging a sign on the front door isn't enough and is even dangerous (see below).
• If you live in an environment without adequate disaster preparedness, people very quickly become helpless, desperate, panicky, and aggressive. Example: A good family man whose children have not had anything to drink for two days.

We should only conduct welfare traffic in coordination with the municipality or similar. We must stipulate that either the municipality receives messages to be transmitted and forwards them to us, or the municipality ensures a minimum level of resilience (emergency wells, etc.). Otherwise, it would be dangerous for us to expose ourselves to welfare traffic. There are good examples, for example, from sparsely populated areas of the USA. There, hospitals or other public buildings are equipped with antennas and similar installations, so that the local radio amateurs simply have to bring their stations and connect it.

During the Ahr Valley flood, citizens were extremely upset because the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) still had not helped them even after two weeks. After the flood in Valencia, the Prime Minister and the royal couple were pelted with mud by angry citizens. The fact is: In an emergency, help always comes too late and is always too little. Only private preparedness in many areas can help!