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I haven't posted here in quite a while but I'm in the process of dusting off my GMRS equipment and have just added a Midland MXT400 to the mix. (This radio looks to be the same hardware as my TYT TH-9000 UHF.) One of the things I've done in the interim is to have become a hub station in the Digital Traffic Network part of Radio Relay International. The network is a recent offshoot of the digital component of the National Traffic System. I've been handling formal traffic (i.e. radiograms) for Maine since mid-2014 and am affiliated with both RRI and NTS. RRI very recently adopted the National SOS Radio Network, a neighborhood radio watch system that was created post-Katrina. The system was based on the use of FRS radios. NSRN suspended a while ago but RRI saw it as what could be a component in a tiered system with FRS at the bottom for local community communications. Above that would be GMRS and then the ham operators. Hams could pass along messages to, for example, the local or county emergency management agencies or pass 3rd party messages into the traffic system. The system would also collect SITREPs from citizens and pass them along to the appropriate agencies. There are pieces of some other pre-existing elements that are also being thrown into the mix, e.g. Neighborhood HamWatch. I'm in the process of working to update our county program (see http://ballyhac.com/) that was put in place in 2015, after we had a fairly significant ice storm. (Of course, we've had no such storms since but it's only a matter of time until we get something equivalent to the one in 1998.) The goal will be to align with the national program. The most current information on the RRI-NSRN program is in the most recent issue of the QNI newsletter. See https://qninewsletterdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/qni-2017-5.pdf RRI's main page is at http://radio-relay.org/

Since this is a city government system, why not just license the EMA/EOC with Part 90 equipment? Using GMRS/FRS for the purposes stated may not be reliable under some circumstances (interference from civilians) and may be abused unless everyone using the equipment is individually licensed and trained properly. I'm sure that someone in City Government already has an FRN for licensing other agencies, so a Part 90 license for a few 5 watt handi-talkies might be best all around. There are several Itinerant frequencies available that do not need frequency coordination and will probably have less outsider traffic than using FRS/GMRS.

and now it will be moved yet again. its going back to where it started. boss man is consolidating sites hopefully w/new better cable and antenna