GMRS and Amateur Radio for emergencies... Have you done it?

[WRQC527]

A recent thread made me think... Has anyone here used GMRS or amateur radio for actual emergency situations? I've listened in while someone tried to locate and help someone who was lost at night on a dark mountain road out of cell range, but I'm curious how many others have done anything similar. How did it go?

[kidphc]

I haven't had to. But regularly follow AARL wilderness protocols when out in the woods.

Especially, around George Washington National Park in Wva. Dad lives close by and if you aren't right by a town, you often don't have cell service.

Really wish all radios followed NEMEA standards for GPS data.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[Guest]

Yes.  I have used cb (years ago) and gmrs for emergencies.   From being lost in a jeep to horse back trail riding emergencies and back country hiking to wild fire animal evacuation to weather related cell and power outages. I’ve always been willing to help any one in an emergency      In my areas I’ve always had many other people on the radio being willing to help in all types of situations over the years.  Radio is an invaluable tool.   Now I’m part of a huge gmrs club that spans over 200miles and has over 80 members. Many monitor the radio most of the day and many are very willing the help in any way they can. 

[gortex2]

Since REACT no and that was all on CB. Never used GMRS for anything like that.

 

[WRTF629]

I never have used gmrs for emergency, but Dad who is 80 years old has called on it for me to help him get deer out of the hollow more than once when I was hunting down the road from him through the years. Cell Phone has very Limited coverage on his farm so GMRS with a repeater covers it all. The one time he should have had it with him he did not and he broke his Tibia, he had to wait till some missed him to come looking for him. IF he had his radio with him it would not have been an issue. I ended up finding him setting on the trailer that was attached to the tractor. His broken leg would not let him operate the tractor so he was sitting on trailer till some one found him. I been thinking of putting a radio on the tractor it self because of that.

[WRKC935]

I have not used it up to this point.  But I have looked at it as a possibility for that.  Much of my family lives within the coverage area of the repeater, at least if they are using a base antenna and radio.  I started assembling bases and antenna's to put at family members houses so there would be a way for them to communicate with each other and myself in the event of a communications failure, storm or other situation.  If for nothing else, piece of mind. 

The repeater is on enough power backup that I am not concerned with it failing due to anything short of a tornado hitting the building and tower. 

But I am still trying to convince the wife to let me put a radio in her vehicle for this use.  She doesn't understand that the cellular network can be fragile in certain situations and a way to communicate outside of cell calls isn't a bad thing. 

 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

 

But I am still trying to convince the wife to let me put a radio in her vehicle for this use.  She doesn't understand that the cellular network can be fragile in certain situations and a way to communicate outside of cell calls isn't a bad thing. 

 

I feel you.  It took a cell outage for my wife to ask for a radio in her truck. Now she uses it all the time. 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, WRXP381 said:

I feel you.  It took a cell outage for my wife to ask for a radio in her truck. Now she uses it all the time. 

After AT&T’s outage today, I predict more radios in trucks.

[WRYZ926]

MARS use to use amateur radio to transfer to phone for service members stationed overseas. I'm sure they still do that to this day. I made a few calls from the Middle East back to the states this way.

The same can be done here in a real emergency if/when needed. You just need tow people that can reach each other by radio and one with a good phone connection out.

[PACNWComms]

For local Search and Rescue, used FRS/GMRs often in the past (decade or so ago) as many state and national parks tried to popularize FRS Channel 1 for emergency use, but it seems to only be used by little kids asking "hello" now. 

Even some search and rescue helicopters were equipped with Garmin Rino series GPS/radios.....and a local park claimed that these had been used to find some lost hikers at some point, but possibly just a local anecdote. 

Unless Garmin's have improved (they have several generations of newer GPS/radios now), they seemed like a great idea but never saw them actually used much for emergency situations. Just good to have if you find yourself in a situation where location is known via GPS, and a radio signal might be heard. 

[WRHS218]

While not exactly emergency situations we have used our GMRS radios during a forced evacuation from a very large fast moving wildfire with a forced power outage. We used them again last year when our area had a 30 year record snow fall where our area lost power and snowed in for 5-14 days. We used them instead of phones, due to the weather, while were out digging cars out and checking on neighbors. On a trip last fall with a couple of friends, two if us had radios. The other two didn't want to mess with carrying a radio. One of the four person group decided to return to the car but didn't let anyone know as we had spread out in the valley we were in. We looked for the person and for a while and finally found them near the car. The next day we were in a different area and I gave the other two in our group a radio because I had brought extras. They didn't not object to carrying a radio that time. We have now used them enough that I bought my wife a pink radio for Valentine's day. She was actually happy to get it.

[WRQC527]

1 hour ago, WRHS218 said:

forced evacuation from a very large fast moving wildfire with a forced power outage.

That definitely sounds like an emergency situation!

[WRYT685]

I've used CB for emergencies, but in light of the recent AT&T shutdown, I'm picking up a couple more GMRS/FRS HHs for my spouse and adult kids to use for emergency comms if something similar happens to our provider/s.  We fortunately live close enough we will be able to communicate on the FRS channels between our houses.

 

[WQAI363]

On 2/23/2024 at 9:21 AM, WRYZ926 said:

MARS use to use amateur radio to transfer to phone for service members stationed overseas. I'm sure they still do that to this day. I made a few calls from the Middle East back to the states this way.

The same can be done here in a real emergency if/when needed. You just need tow people that can reach each other by radio and one with a good phone connection out.

Re-Examine what you have posted. I assume forum was on providing communications during SHTF when commercial landline and cellular are not available. Sure, providing phone patches for people is fine and dandy, but during a Real SHTF situation, it's a guarantee that commercial landlines and cellular systems won't be functioning. So, having a patch from an Amateur Radio to a phone is useless.

[WRQC527]

24 minutes ago, Adamdaj said:

Re-Examine what you have posted. I assume forum was on providing communications during SHTF when commercial landline and cellular are not available. Sure, providing phone patches for people is fine and dandy, but during a Real SHTF situation, it's a guarantee that commercial landlines and cellular systems won't be functioning. So, having a patch from an Amateur Radio to a phone is useless.

Really what I asked when I started this thread is if anyone has ever used GMRS or amateur radio in a real emergency. 

[BoxCar]

52 minutes ago, Adamdaj said:

I assume forum was on providing communications during SHTF when commercial landline and cellular are not available. Sure, providing phone patches for people is fine and dandy, but during a Real SHTF situation, it's a guarantee that commercial landlines and cellular systems won't be functioning. So, having a patch from an Amateur Radio to a phone is useless.

I disagree with your assumption that phone service would fail nationwide under most conditions. A SHTF situation is generally localized, but the locality may cover a large area. Hurricanes and wildfires are fair examples, as those affected would treat the problem as a SHTF event, but 100 or more miles away, there are no problems. You would probably not be able to communicate outside a small area around you using GMRS or FRS due to the frequencies being used. Amateur radio in the 2 meter and 70 cm bands would likely experience the same problems. However, not all frequencies would be effected the same and hams, having access to many other frequencies, should be able to relay messages and even phone patches to other areas. 

[WRYZ926]

1 hour ago, Adamdaj said:

Re-Examine what you have posted. I assume forum was on providing communications during SHTF when commercial landline and cellular are not available. Sure, providing phone patches for people is fine and dandy, but during a Real SHTF situation, it's a guarantee that commercial landlines and cellular systems won't be functioning. So, having a patch from an Amateur Radio to a phone is useless.

No need to re examine my reply. If phone service is down in one area but working in other areas then radio operators operating with in their license privileges can relay as needed in an emergency.

[GMRSNetwork]

I remember being on our local 2 Meter repeater in 1978 and someone used the "autopatch" to call in an accident. With everyone having cellphones now I think the real use for emergencies is in the backcountry. Even now T-Mobile uses Starlink when away from cell towers and in the clear outdoors. I worked for the largest mobile telephone provider in NYC in 1979 and people would call the mobile operator all the time to report accidents. I had a Mocom 70 in the car and only heard the mobile operator until full duplex was switched on for a phone call. Radio was fun back then, GMRS is the only service that has any real activity. 2 M has turned into the land of "Nets" everywhere I travel, no more drive time rechews even in NY or Chicago on club pairs. Took the 2 Meter out of the car and now only have GMRS. 

[NCJeb]

I’ll admit I haven’t used radio in a “real emergency” YET (unless you want to count on the ham side doing SKYWARN and ARES stuff for thunderstorms and hurricanes). But admittedly my reason for coming “to the dark side” and adding GMRS to my toolbox was the localized failure of cellular service in the wake of Helene in the end of ‘24 last year, and realizing my wife, parents, and local friends needed the ability to communicate without cell service and in spite of their (understandable) reluctance to study for a ham test when they had no interest in the “hobby” side of things.

 

All that to say, if I had had the setup I do now of multiple mobiles, walkies, and the mapping of the local repeater I’ve done, I absolutely would have used it last year, and anticipate to at some point in the future. And now, getting everybody in the practice of ratio protocol as part of everyday activities, my hope is it will be second nature when the time comes.

 

Yes, perhaps a smidge off topic for this thread, but I have a feeling representative of many of us who were sent to this radio service by a (varying severity) emergency when we DIDN’T have radio at our disposal…

[Lscott]

One thing you should do is schedule a time for your family members to get on the air and do some practice drills. Don't want to want until the emergency to figure out how to use the radio. Also figure out a backup plan, alternate frequencies, spare fully charged battery packs maybe a magnet mount antenna on a cookie sheet etc. No doubt others will be on the air trying to communicate and some of the frequencies might be jammed up, repeater is down etc. 

[WRUE951]

22 hours ago, WRUQ758 said:

I remember being on our local 2 Meter repeater in 1978 and someone used the "autopatch" to call in an accident. 

back in the early 80's i used auto patch all on the time when i was doing Microwave site maintenance.   Even used it many times to reach out to the Huges Microwave Techs sitting on remote sites...  Cool stuff back then.  Today, i don't think anyone is using auto patch. To much of a pain to implement and not worth the trouble and money with cell phones reaching almost every square mile we live in.  

[WRUE951]

35 minutes ago, Lscott said:

One thing you should do is schedule a time for your family members to get on the air and do some practice drills. Don't want to want until the emergency to figure out how to use the radio. Also figure out a backup plan, alternate frequencies, spare fully charged battery packs maybe a magnet mount antenna on a cookie sheet etc. No doubt others will be on the air trying to communicate and some of the frequencies might be jammed up, repeater is down etc. 

Believe it or not, there are groups of people doing this.  Every once in awhile i hear it myself.  A couple of local families here practicing on communication on the various repeaters here.. Even have a couple repeater use request with their reason:  Family Emergencies..  The smart people are always prepared..  

[WRXB215]

1 hour ago, WRUE951 said:

Today, i don't think anyone is using auto patch.

There are some repeaters in Houston that supposedly have auto patch. I can't say for sure since I've never used it but I've always wanted to try it out.

[WRTC928]

I've told this story on here before...

About 15 years ago, I was in a remote village in the Alaska interior when an earthquake took out all phone service for an area the size of Connecticut. Cell phones didn't exist in the AK interior at that time. Satellite phones were prohibitively expensive and no "regular" people had them. It felt pretty freaking lonely in a village of ~200 people with no contact whatsoever with the outside world. Within a few hours, the Air Force had aircraft with sophisticated comms (probably E-3 AWACS, since they're stationed in Alaska) flying laps in the affected area. They could talk to anything that put out a signal and were able to vector medical care to villages which needed it. Just knowing someone could hear us made a world of difference. 

Around the same time, I had a weekend cabin in a remote area on the Susitna River. It was accessible by 4x4 pickup, but just barely. The only telephone for 150 miles was at a lodge up a mountain about 12 miles away. They monitored Ham, GMRS, marine, MURS, and probably some other stuff I never heard of. They did it as a community service and folks who had cabins in the area would check in with them when we arrived and out when we left. I had a GMRS repeater at my cabin (batteries and a generator, no commercial electric service) and I carried a GMRS HT so I could contact the lodge in the event of an emergency. I felt better knowing that if I were mauled by a bear, I had some option besides lying by the river bleeding to death. 

[WRUE951]

12 hours ago, WRTC928 said:

I've told this story on here before...

About 15 years ago, I was in a remote village in the Alaska interior when an earthquake took out all phone service for an area the size of Connecticut. Cell phones didn't exist in the AK interior at that time. Satellite phones were prohibitively expensive and no "regular" people had them. It felt pretty freaking lonely in a village of ~200 people with no contact whatsoever with the outside world. Within a few hours, the Air Force had aircraft with sophisticated comms (probably E-3 AWACS, since they're stationed in Alaska) flying laps in the affected area. They could talk to anything that put out a signal and were able to vector medical care to villages which needed it. Just knowing someone could hear us made a world of difference. 

Around the same time, I had a weekend cabin in a remote area on the Susitna River. It was accessible by 4x4 pickup, but just barely. The only telephone for 150 miles was at a lodge up a mountain about 12 miles away. They monitored Ham, GMRS, marine, MURS, and probably some other stuff I never heard of. They did it as a community service and folks who had cabins in the area would check in with them when we arrived and out when we left. I had a GMRS repeater at my cabin (batteries and a generator, no commercial electric service) and I carried a GMRS HT so I could contact the lodge in the event of an emergency. I felt better knowing that if I were mauled by a bear, I had some option besides lying by the river bleeding to death. 

Yup, it happens,  i was in Ridgecrest when the Big earth quakes struck..  First big one took out cell service and city wide power  for several hours, next big one the following day did the same.  We used handhelds and worked off local repeaters which were backed up with stand-bye power.  Although the cell service was restored pretty quick, having the HT's for some communication has handy