In today’s unpredictable world, having an emergency communication plan in place can make all the difference when it comes to survival.
Whether it’s a natural disaster, a power outage, or any other crisis situation, staying connected with your loved ones and local authorities is crucial.
In this article, we will explore the importance of having emergency communication gear and provide you with practical tips on how to create a plan that suits your needs.
Invest in Emergency Communication Gear
When it comes to communication gear, many survival preppers only focus on the need to recharge their smartphone. They make sure that they have solar chargers, but they don’t take into consideration that these may not even help them if the cell phone towers have gone down.
You may think that your entire family unit will be in one place during a survival event, but they could be spread out at work, school, and home.
You want a way to communicate with them when something happens, but also if there is a prolonged survival event and you need to contact others in a strategic way.
An example of the fragility of the phone system is when 9/11 occurred and cell phone towers were overwhelmed, which meant many people could not find out if their loved ones were alive or even coordinate a place to meet up in the event that a wide scale attack was underway.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you are unable to communicate with others, especially if you are going through some sort of natural disaster and need to alert someone to your location so that you can be rescued.
Never gamble with your safety by assuming your current emergency communication plan will work. You always want to have something sustainable and backup gear in case one method fails.
Options for Survival Communication
There are many different ways you can communicate with someone in a survival event. Sometimes, you need to have a conversation and other times you just need to create a signal that lets someone know you need help or that they need to be aware of something.
Because of the instability of cell phone towers, you may want to invest in some satellite phones that rely on orbiting satellites rather than land based cell towers so that you can communicate with your loved ones.
This is especially helpful if you are going out in the wilderness, where cell phone coverage is often lacking. These are more reliable, but they’re a little more expensive than a regular phone, and they may not be as convenient to carry.
If you have a homestead property, or you simply want to keep in touch with someone close by, you can invest in some old fashioned walkie talkies. These are two way radios with a short range for communication.
Alternative Methods for Communicating
Another option would be a Family Radio Service (FRS) set of radios. These are similar to walkie talkies, and have better range like a ham radio, but they don’t require a license.
For more advanced preppers, having a ham radio and an FCC license to operate it would be a great way to communicate with others in a longer range. This is perfect if you were in a situation where traveling to and from different towns would be precarious.
Sometimes, the communication that you need would be incoming. For that, you want to make sure that you have a hand crank NOAA weather radio on hand. This will be able to broadcast important messages and alerts to you, and it doesn’t require electricity or batteries.
If you are going to rely on a cell phone tower, not only do you want to have your solar chargers in place, but you also want to use a cellular booster so that you get more reliability with a signal if you are in an area that doesn’t have good coverage.
For moments when you simply need to alert people about your presence and possibly get rescued, you can use a variety of communication tools. For example, you may want to invest in some flares that you can ignite to send a distress signal.
Many people carry a reflective mirror with them so that they can use the sun to signal to aircraft that they are in need of assistance. If you are on the ground, and there are people searching for survivors, you may want to have a whistle, a small air horn, or even some sort of bell that can let people know where you are.
Best Handheld Radios for Survival
Gadget Shopping Considerations
Most survival preppers have a budget for the gear and supplies they are investing in. And while cost is an important factor, you also want to have other considerations when it comes to gadgets that will allow you to communicate with others.
For example, some of the communication gear has a variety in the range of communication, so if being able to reach someone in the next town is important, you’ll want to have something that can give you that capability.
You also want to consider whether or not the communication tool is going to be impacted by your geographic location.
Sometimes the range isn’t just a distance from one point to another, but you have to take into consideration natural barriers like a mountain or skyscraper that could determine whether or not your message gets through.
Another consideration you want to make when purchasing your survival gear is whether or not it gives you the ability to recharge it using solar power or hand crank power.
You don’t want to have to rely on electricity and batteries, but if you do have a battery operated piece of equipment, make sure it has a long life.
Anytime you can get something that is waterproof or at the very least water resistant, that will be a better purchase than something that will be left vulnerable if you get caught in a flood or even hard rain.
And of course, consider the cost so that something works within your budget, but if there’s something you know you’ll need for communication purposes, you may want to set aside a little money until you can invest in a gadget that is durable and easy to use for your family choosing value over cost in this instance.
Communication Gear Safety and Maintenance
Just as you check your food storage for signs of pests or spoilage, and rotate your supplies out, you want to maintain your communication gear and check it periodically to make sure it is in good working order.
This can be done on a weekly or monthly basis, and you want to look for any type of corrosion or damage to your communication gear so that you can replace any element that has been compromised.
If you take your communication gadgets out on a camping trip or hike, make sure that you clean it when you return home and keep it in good working condition.
Store it in a place that will not damage it, and have a Faraday bag that can shield any of your electronic devices for communication from an electromagnetic pulse.
There may be some of your gear that is digital and will require a software update, and you always want to take care of this on a regular basis so that you’re not caught months down the road with a piece of equipment that is far outdated when a survival event occurs.
Practice Gear Drills to Survive
All the gear in the world won’t help you if your family is not well practiced and using it. They need to know how to operate the equipment, how to troubleshoot if something isn’t working, and what to use as a backup means of communication if the primary one fails.
These days, many people rely on their smartphones to give them phone numbers, addresses, and full names. You want to have communication lists printed out and preferably laminated so that your list of contacts is preserved if you can’t use your smartphone.
Keep in mind that sometimes you have to communicate in a situation where you are under some sort of threat. Your family needs to have a code that can be used to signify that there is danger, even when they can’t be transparent about it.
From time to time, you may want to practice some drills with your family so that they know how to use certain equipment, and even where to meet up in the event that they have to evacuate from their current location.
Conclusion: Being Prepared for Any Situation
Having an emergency communication plan is crucial for staying connected and ensuring survival during times of crisis.
By establishing a reliable system for communication, such as designated meeting points, emergency contact lists, and alternative methods like walkie-talkies or satellite phones, we can better navigate uncertain situations and provide support to our loved ones.
It is also important to regularly review and update our emergency communication plan to adapt to changing circumstances and technological advancements.
Remember, the key to success in any emergency situation is preparedness, so take the time to create your own emergency communication plan and stay connected for the sake of your safety and those around you. Stay safe!
