Communication is vital when faced with an emergency situation. When something a disaster happens, one of the first things you do is to check on your loved ones. You need to know if their fine or not. At the same time, there’s the need to know exactly what happened. In other words, you need to stay connected during emergencies.
In Train to Busan, the government tried to downplay the on-going zombie apocalypse by saying they were experiencing violent riots and that the outbreak has been contained thanks to their rapid response. They also said that the people should not believe baseless rumors about zombies. If you’ve seen the film, you know the government was lying through their teeth.
Also in the film, the male lead got on the phone with someone in the military, who told him how to avoid being quarantined once they reached a particular train station. While that stop proved costly for most of his co-passengers, the fact that he was able to communicate with someone show how important it is to stay connected during emergencies.
In real life, these things actually happen. The common folks are usually left in the dark or are the last ones to know. The best way to prepare for this is to have the necessary communication tools to stay connected during emergencies.
Phone
Phones are the most obvious tool used to stay connected during emergencies. In this day and age, almost everyone owns a cellular phone. Despite the on-going issue with children and screen time or gadget use, having a phone is vital when it comes to emergency situations.
If there’s an accident at home, for example, children can use their smartphone to call 911. Of course, you can set up a landline phone at home. In fact, you should have one so the family has another way to stay connected during emergencies.
The good thing about smartphones is that you can take them anywhere. That means you can call and check on everyone from wherever you are as long as there’s signal and the telephone and internet grid are still up.
A satellite phone uses the satellites orbiting the planet to transmit signals while normal mobile phones use towers erected on land. With a satellite phone, you don’t have to worry about losing signal. You can make or receive a call anywhere you are. Well that is if aliens don’t shoot down all the satellites.
Satellite phones are also built for the rough times. They can withstand any kind of weather, which makes then the perfect communication tool to stay connected during emergencies.
A phone with an empty or drained battery is useless so make sure they’re always charged. You also need an extra battery pack for each phone along with some power banks. A solar power bank is even better.
Social Media
Social media has emerged as important tool in disaster management. If the power and internet haven’t been cut off, you can get updates from social media. You can also be the one giving updates. For those directly involved or affected by an emergency, they can livestream or post videos and photos of what is happening. This will give authorities and rescue teams an idea of what they’re facing as the crisis evolves.
For example, a building is taken over by a group of terrorists. If you managed to hide and evade the perpetrators, you can livestream the situation inside the building. Of course, this is a dangerous move on your part but highly useful as police can know who and how many the suspects are and what kinds of weapons their dealing with.
Social media can also be used to share useful information for those who need them most. Government agencies, for example, have been depending on social media to inform people on what to do during certain disasters. They also use it to make announcements such as if there is a need to evacuate and how other people can help. Most importantly, social media is effective in improving coordination between authorities, emergency responders, and volunteers.
HAM Radio/Two-Way Radio
It’s quite difficult to stay connected during disasters since the power almost always goes out. This usually happens with hurricanes, earthquakes, and alien invasions.
Once the power grid goes down, phones and computers are rendered useless. You can still use laptops to smack the head of your boyfriend while you’re having a fight on board a plane though.
Old school communication tools such as HAM or two-way radios will still be useful in such a scenario. They don’t need electricity to work. You just have to stock up on lots of batteries.
You do need to know how to operate a HAM radio to stay connected during emergencies. The Survival Prepping gives a rundown on how to use a HAM radio in emergency situations.
Citizens Band (CB) Radio
The CB radio is another favorite among preppers. Aside from the HAM radio, this is another communication tool that you can use to stay connected during disasters even after the power and internet grid falls.
HAM radios are generally considered better than CB radios. For one, HAM radios run on FM mode, which provides a cleaner and crisper signal. CB radios run on AM mode, which usually gives off the white noise-like sound.
CB radios need their antennas to be fine-tuned properly to work. You also need the person you’re trying to communicate with to have his fine-tuned. If not, you’re unlikely to talk to him. Aside from that, HAM radios have unlimited power and range. CB radios, however, don’t require a license.
If you’re serious about preparing for disasters and emergencies, you could get a set of HAM radios while also owning a CB radio. This way, you’re more equipped to stay connected during disasters.
Weather Radio
Emergency weather radios are necessary to stay connected during emergencies. You may not get to talk with loved ones or call for help with a weather radio but it helps you prepare for what’s about to come.
Weather radios broadcast alerts pertaining to weather disturbances such as typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters. They also provide updates on man-made disasters such as chemical spills and terrorist attacks.
There are two main kinds of weather radios based on the broadcast. One is via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) while the other is the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The other kind of weather radio is the Specific Area Message Encoding broadcast (SAME), which receives updates from both the NOAA and EAS.
Other possible ways you can stay connected during disasters are through police scanners and the ever-reliable pen and paper. If you need help, you can send out distress signals by using your hands, flags, flashlights, and whistles. Then there’s the Morse Code. It’s a good skill to know all these methods of communication, particularly when you need to send out distress signals.
You should always be prepared for the worst. And if the worst means you don’t have access to any of the tools mentioned above, you can still stay connected during emergencies to a certain degree using these ancient methods of communication. If our ancestors survived without smartphones and computers, surely we can survive emergencies, as well.
Follow the Gentleman Pirate Club to stay up-to-date with regards to the different ways you can survive disasters and emergencies. You’ll also stay updated on what’s new on prepping, camping gears, and anything about the outdoors.
Just a disclaimer – We have partnered with these companies because we use their products and/or proudly trust and endorse them – so we do receive a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for services. Often, we are able to negotiate special discounts and/or bonuses, which we will pass on to you via our links. We often get short notice on sale items available for 24-48 hours as we will pass these savings onto you.
