More on FRS radios for emergency use

Hartford, CT (PRWEB) May 3, 2006 — The Midland Radio Corporation, REACT International, the DC Emergency Radio Network, and NationalSOS.com have jointly announced their support for the National SOS Radio Network — www.NationalSOS.com — a free communications network based on the estimated 100 million FRS-compatible radios already in the hands of the public… and growing by up to 12 million radios per year.

This idea first surfaced after hurricane Katrina. I wrote about it in October 2005, but I haven’t heard much additional news until I noticed this press release. Having REACT and Midland supporting this idea will certainly help, but it is still not clear where this will head, if anywhere.
73, Bob K0NR

3 Replies to “More on FRS radios for emergency use”

  1. Here’s some more on FRS radios for emcomm. I stumbled across an organization called EMCOM.
    http://www.emcomus.org

    They see FRS as a communications tool for during emergencies. There is a very optimistic channel plan listed on the web site:

    http://emcomus.org/commwp.html

    A “channel plan” is developed to limit the amount of communications for each purpose, based on using 3-4 channels, thus leaving (or coordinating) channels for use by adjacent neighborhoods for their own communications.

    * Channel 2 – Emergency messages to be relayed to the neighborhood coordinator, or designated communications coordinators (there should always be a backup communicator designated in case the primary assignee is incapacitated.
    * Channel 8 – Intra/Inter Family Communications
    * Channel 9 – Neighborhood light search and rescue efforts
    * Channel 10 – Evacuation/Relief/Health/Welfare efforts
    * Channel 5 – Secondary Emergency Message Channel – Assigned to one side of the neighborhood that is close to another neighborhood using Channel 5 as their primary Emergency channel. This should only be used when one cannot reach their primary neighborhood coordinator(s).
    * Channel 6 – Secondary Emergency Message Channel – Assigned to the other side of the neighborhood that is close to another neighborhood using Channel 6 as their primary Emergency channel. This should only be used when one cannot reach their primary neighborhood coordinator(s).

    This is where I have to say “enough”. For such a channel plan to be successful, it requires a high level of discipline by all radio users. This is a challenge for a licensed service but is a joke for an unlicensed service such as FRS.

    In retrospect, it is clear to me that the FCC missed an opportunity to make something really powerful out of FRS / GMRS. Instead, they just shoved the FRS frequencies between and on top of the GMRS frequencies, hoping for the best. Another example of crappy spectrum planning.