Emergency Coms Radio?

[TailGator911]

I would like to hear any stories about you having to resort to radio in an emergency. What were the circumstances? What radio was used? Outcome?

I am sure I am not the only one here interested in hearing about how your radio saved your butt in an emergency situation. Maybe we can learn something from your experiences.

JD
kf4anc

 

[k6cpo]

Radio didn't save my butt in an emergency, but it made me more informed during one.

Nine months after I got my Technician license in 2011, Southern California from the Mexican border up into Los Angeles was hit with a major power outage. A technician threw the wrong switch at a substation in Arizona and the cascading effect took out the grid in San Diego and Imperial Counties and extended up into portions of Orange and LA Counties and into Mexico. Power wasn't restored to all areas for twelve hours.

The first thing I reached for when the power failed was a charged-up HT. By listening to repeaters (most with some form of backup power) around the area I was able to determine the extent of the outage and also learn where to tune with a battery powered AM/FM radio for information. Without amateur radio, I would have been as much in the "dark" (see what I did there) as everyone else.

 

[ladn]

A number of years ago I was leading a 4WD group on a trail in the Southern Sierras. We used CB for vehicle-vehicle communications, but my sweep vehicle and a few others were also licensed hams. This was fairly remote high country. While we were traveling along the trail, a motorcycles approaches us from the direction we were heading and flags me down.

He explains that a rider hit a log and crashed his bike, sustaining a possible broken arm and possible rib fracture. He asks if we could summon help. The area had no cell coverage. We didn't carry a sat phone. CB was worthless and we were below the Sierra crest and couldn't hit any amateur repeaters nor raise anyone on simplex frequencies.

I had the local USFS net frequencies programmed into my (amateur) radio and contacted the local fire lookout tower. They initiated an air evac, dispatched a ground ambulance and directed a motorcycle ranger to our location. We held our position, but one of the group members who is a ham and had first aid training went on to the crash site which was a few miles away.

In the meantime, I'm getting updates on the victim's condition via CB from some Jeepers who were on the scene and rendered aid. I relayed the info via USFS radio to the lookout. The first up air evac helicopter was deployed on another incident, second up was down for maintenance. An air unit was finally dispatched for Adelanto. Meanwhile, the motorcycle ranger arrives at our location. He can't communicate with the fire lookout on his 5w handheld, so I relay on my 50w mobile.

The air evac unit from Adelanto wasn't familiar with the area, so my group member provided GPS coordinates of the crash site, relayed to me via amateur radio and then relayed to USFS.

Since we were burning daylight, I turned my group back to head to our campsite, leaving the one group member behind at the incident scene as communications relay. The motorcycle ranger made it to the incident location where he was able to communicate with his handheld. The helicopter found the incident scene and transported the victim, who indeed, had both arm and rib fractures, along with abrasions and contusions. As we were heading out of the area, we encountered the ground ambulance on the 2WD section of the trail. It never would have made it to the incident scene since it was 2WD and way to wide for parts of the trail. Additionally, evacuating the victim via a bouncing ground ambulance would not have been optimal since the victim's injuries presented the possibility of a punctured lung or internal bleeding.

Our left behind group member had pretty solid communications with us via amateur radio (simplex) as we headed to the campsite and he rejoined us about an hour or so later.

 

[mmckenna]

I do a lot of ATV/UTV riding around California and Nevada. about 12 years ago we were up near Mount Shasta. I was riding drag, so I waited for everyone else to go and the dust to settle.
While riding down a rocky stretch of trail, I hit a rock just right with the front left that popped up and hit the foot peg, the pushed the machine up and then the rock taco'd the left rear and threw me over the handle bars. Luckily I didn't land in the bushes, but on a large section of granite. Shoved my left leg up and broke the hip socket. Knocked the wind out of me, too. By the time I gathered myself and realized I was hurt and not going to be able to get myself out of it, I started calling on the radio for some help. When no one answered, I realized that the helmet headset had become disconnected from the radio in my pack. I was able to get my helmet off and dig out the radio and make a call to the rest of the group. They turned around and headed back up the trail. They were able to get me onto one of the smoother riding ATV's and I crept slowly down the trail to a point they were able to get a pickup truck to. I was loaded in the truck and the ATV in the back. They drove me down to a USFS fire station. They boarded me out of the truck and onto the ground and called an ambulance. Spent a few days in the hospital, avoided surgery and had to stay off my leg for about 2 months.

All on 146.415 with 5 watt hand held radios. Maybe didn't save the day, as they would have come back looking for me anyway, but it did speed up the process.

Lessons were:
-Always have the radio attached to your body. Doesn't do any good on an ATV that's rolled down the trail if you can't get to it.
-Never hurt yourself 60+ miles from the closest hospital. Rides in ambulances with clapped out suspension hurt.
-Always thank your nurse, especially when she gives you a big shot of dilaudid
-Steel wheels can be beat back into a more or less round shape on the trail. Fixed that ATV, didn't have to replace any parts, and it's still going today.
-If you are out in the sticks, be ready to take care of yourself. Don't assume technology is going to save you.

 

[AK9R]

I've been involved in severe weather spotting and the amateur radio Skywarn program since before I became a licensed amateur radio operator 28 years ago. In that time, I have seen one tornado. It was May 30, 2004. Looking at the maps of tornado tracks recorded by the National Weather Service, imagine me being in the Little Point/Monrovia area southwest of Indianapolis when I was able to observe a wall cloud moving across my view, then spot a funnel cloud, and then confirm an active tornado. All of my reports were made via amateur radio on 2m FM through our Central Indiana Skywarn repeater network.

Was this an emergency (immediate danger to life or property)? Yes, I believe it was.
What were the circumstances? Described above.
What radio? Probably a Kenwood TM-D700A.
What was the outcome? The NWS was able to issue warnings that included confirmed tornado sightings by myself and other weather spotters.
Was my butt saved? No, I never placed myself in danger of being hit by the tornado though my vehicle did get hit by some falling debris that the passing tornado had picked up.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Two years ago my wife and I were traveling to my newly found sisters place 8 hours away. About an hour from out destination, in moderate rain, we happened upon a single vehicle roll over. A young lady had hydroplaned and lost control. Some folks had stopped before we got there, and someone had been sent to call 911(no cell service at the crash site) I tried to call the non-emergency RCMP number on a Global Star phone, but the call would not connect. I ended up using my NX200 to raise a ham(I am a ham as well) in the city I was traveling to, who call 911 for me. While his call was not the first one 911 received, it was our confirmation that RCMP and BCEHS was on route to the scene.

I found out this year that I was with in 500m of cell service at this accident. The accident happened close to a rest stop, that was about 50m higher in elevation than the highway, while stopped at the rest stop this year, my phone rang.

lesson learned:

Take a mobile and make sure it’s programmed for where I am going.

 

[AK_SAR]

Radio didn't save my butt in an emergency, but it made me more informed during one.

That's the case with me as well. On November 30, 2018 Anchorage experienced an M 7.1 earthquake just north of town. After the shaking stopped, and my pulse slowed a bit, I first checked to make sure we and our home were more or less OK. Cell service was jammed, but I was able to text a family member in the Lower 48 to let them know we were OK.

Then I turned on my radio. A spontaneous net had started on a local repeater. A lot of hams came on reporting. Some was good info, and some not so good. Whoever was acting as net control (didn't catch his call sign) in general did a good job of trying to sort out useful from not so useful info. Below are some examples.

Someone came on a reported that Vine Road was closed by damage, but was vague about exactly where and how badly damaged. The net control guy asked them to try to get an exact location, and find out if it was completely closed, or only damaged. (The damage to Vine Road was one of the images that was shown ad nauseum on the national media.)

Someone else came on and said "the overpass on Minnesota Drive collapsed and a car is trapped!", with no other info. This was some of the not so effective reporting. The report makes it sound like someones car was crushed under the collapsed overpass. And there are at least 3 overpasses on that road. The fact is, one of the on ramps at one overpass slumped, and a car was stuck between slumps. No one was injured and the car was not damaged, and the on ramp was repaired quickly. (Another image that was shown repeatedly on national news media.)

Someone else came on and reported "They say there will be another bigger quake within the hour!". This was a totally bogus rumor. Neither the USGS nor any other agency had made such a prediction.

TAKE AWAYS:
1. If you are going to report anything, try to be as specific and accurate as possible. Knowing Vine Rd was damaged is useful. However, it is a fairly long road, so it was important to know exactly where and how badly damaged it was.
2. Think about what sort of message your words will convey. "The overpass has collapsed and a car is trapped!" conveys a very different message than "The on ramp has slumped and a car is stuck between, but not damaged." And again, reporting exactly where is crucial.
3. Be very careful about passing rumors. Whenever you hear the words "They Say..." your BS filter should automatically set to high.
4. Having someone calm and level headed to step up and assume the role of net control is very important.

 

[w2xq]

I would like to hear any stories about you having to resort to radio in an emergency. What were the circumstances? What radio was used? Outcome?

I am sure I am not the only one here interested in hearing about how your radio saved your butt in an emergency situation. Maybe we can learn something from your experiences.

JD
kf4anc

T'was a terrible long weekend July 22-25, 1977, in the Bass River State Forest. Just as I arrived home from work on Friday afternoon, a call from Burlington County OEM/ARES asked me to take the county van to the New Gretna firehouse. The Bass River Fire is remembered to this day and firemen who died are still honored.

1977 07/22 NJ 4-Fatality Bass River 2

Always Remember! - the website dedicated to remembering wildland fire tragedies, how they happened, and how we can learn to avoid them in the future.

wlfalwaysremember.org

The Atlantic City Press, Asbury Park Press and New York Times have story archives.

As I arrived in New Gretna, George Ford K2QIJ set up in Mount Holly, and we passed fire comms using 2m simplex across the vastness of the Pine Barrens. No county-wide radio system existed; fire personnel on the ground couldn't directly talk to their respective headquarters in the central and western end of the county.

I remember pulling my own 2m radio from the house to take with me. It was a good decision as the county's 2m radio failed. I also remember being in the van for more than 24 hours before my relief came.

T'was a terrible long weekend...

 

[W5lz]

That's the case with me as well. On November 30, 2018 Anchorage experienced an M 7.1 earthquake just north of town. After the shaking stopped, and my pulse slowed a bit, I first checked to make sure we and our home were more or less OK. Cell service was jammed, but I was able to text a family member in the Lower 48 to let them know we were OK.

Then I turned on my radio. A spontaneous net had started on a local repeater. A lot of hams came on reporting. Some was good info, and some not so good. Whoever was acting as net control (didn't catch his call sign) in general did a good job of trying to sort out useful from not so useful info. Below are some examples.

Someone came on a reported that Vine Road was closed by damage, but was vague about exactly where and how badly damaged. The net control guy asked them to try to get an exact location, and find out if it was completely closed, or only damaged. (The damage to Vine Road was one of the images that was shown ad nauseum on the national media.)

Someone else came on and said "the overpass on Minnesota Drive collapsed and a car is trapped!", with no other info. This was some of the not so effective reporting. The report makes it sound like someones car was crushed under the collapsed overpass. And there are at least 3 overpasses on that road. The fact is, one of the on ramps at one overpass slumped, and a car was stuck between slumps. No one was injured and the car was not damaged, and the on ramp was repaired quickly. (Another image that was shown repeatedly on national news media.)

Someone else came on and reported "They say there will be another bigger quake within the hour!". This was a totally bogus rumor. Neither the USGS nor any other agency had made such a prediction.

TAKE AWAYS:
1. If you are going to report anything, try to be as specific and accurate as possible. Knowing Vine Rd was damaged is useful. However, it is a fairly long road, so it was important to know exactly where and how badly damaged it was.
2. Think about what sort of message your words will convey. "The overpass has collapsed and a car is trapped!" conveys a very different message than "The on ramp has slumped and a car is stuck between, but not damaged." And again, reporting exactly where is crucial.
3. Be very careful about passing rumors. Whenever you hear the words "They Say..." your BS filter should automatically set to high.
4. Having someone calm and level headed to step up and assume the role of net control is very important.

I have to very much agree with the B.S. filters and the phrase "They say...". Having to deal with that sort of reporting I have a personal check-list for that reporting person. 1. Who, where and why are you there? 2. What exactly did you see yourself? 3. Who told you what you are reporting. And how did you know to call here? It's not fool-proof but you can weed out a lot of B.S. asking those questions. You can almost count on making the reporting person mad that you question them. Too bad, sorry 'bout that (not). I've found that eye-whitness stuff is almost always wrong in some way, so question it!

 

[prcguy]

About 25yrs ago I used one of my VHF/UHF military manpacks to direct a helicopter to a desert accident scene. I was camping in the California desert in a small town that never got developed which had dirt streets running all over many square miles but no buildings, just desert. A guy on an off road motorcycle hit something going fast which went airborne and crashed. The rider was in great pain with a back injury and I think a broken leg.

Someone called 911 and a helicopter was dispatched from about 100mi away and the caller was having trouble giving directions to the camp site as there were many other camp sites in the area with no good land marks. I remembered I had the radio with me and told dispatch to have the helicopter to call "radio service"on 123.450MHz when they get into the area. I commonly use a "radio service" call sign when testing a customers radio system after repairs. When the helicopter finally got into the area they were way off course and I was able to make contact and tell them we we are at their 10 o'clock position 1 mile out, etc until they could identify our campsite. They also had me designate a clean landing area and keep people at a distance for flying debris.

What I did back then was technically not legal but it made a huge difference in getting help on scene quickly given the confusing area and no other means to get information to the pilot. The radio I used at the time was a Harris PRC-117D series that covered roughly 30 to 90, 118 to 174 and 225-420MHz AM and FM.

 

[Firekite]

What I did back then was technically not legal

I think the everyday rules are set aside in case of emergency, in which case effective use of whatever tools you have available is fully called-for.

 

[prcguy]

My example was not a life or death situation but I figured the chances of someone finding and prosecuting me were slim, so there ya go.

I now have an NTIA license that covers me on most HF, marine shore station, aircraft and many Govt freqs when supporting the US Coast Guard, but I would not have been able to use that callsign on a camping trip. Otherwise its handy to have.

I think the everyday rules are set aside in case of emergency, in which case effective use of whatever tools you have available is fully called-for.

 

[OhSixTJ]

Not an emergency but I had my radio on while working one day and heard a guy calling out. I answered. He was stuck in a field on his tractor and didn’t have a phone. He asked me to call his wife and ask her to take a truck and chain.

 

[scanmanmi]

Opposite. I used to be an EMT (in the 80's) and we were transporting to Chicago when I saw an overturned car on the other side of the divided highway. Our rig had a row of pushbuttons for frequencies and a row of buttons for PL. Between all the buttons we couldn't raise anyone. Even on 155.34 all the hospitals keep their PLs on. We got turned around and found the car empty and engine cold.

 

[Golay]

Opposite. I used to be an EMT (in the 80's) and we were transporting to Chicago when I saw an overturned car on the other side of the divided highway. Our rig had a row of pushbuttons for frequencies and a row of buttons for PL. Between all the buttons we couldn't raise anyone. Even on 155.34 all the hospitals keep their PLs on. We got turned around and found the car empty and engine cold.

Yeah, I've never been in a situation where I couldn't get a hold of someone, even during an emergency.
We are both in Michigan.
I think my last resort would be to put a shout out on 155.370, the statewide police intercity frequency if I couldn't get hold of anyone any other way. But I would definitely exhaust all other options first.

 

[krokus]

At a time that I didn't have a cellphone, I was exiting an expressway, and came across a car that had spun out. The car had left the exit ramp, and was nestled in the cattails. The young female driver was just walking upto the road surface, as I puller over. A short time later, another car came the wrong way onto the ramp, then a very irritated male driver berated the woman, as she got in his car, and they left the scene.

I got ahold of someone on a local 2m repeater, and they called the police for me. The officer was happy at the amount of detail I was able to provide, once they got to the scene. I was concerned for her well being.

This was in the Detroit Metro area, while home on military leave.

 

[TailGator911]

Yeah, I have found that the 'SOS' argument (transmitting unlicensed in emergency situations) is about as popular with the moderators as the dreaded 'E' debate. I find it absurd that anyone here would give pause to federal regulations if such an infraction would ultimately save your life.

 

[ecps92]

Planning/Preparing for Violating Laws is not the same as, O-$h!t something happened, what do I have that might....

Yeah, I have found that the 'SOS' argument (transmitting unlicensed in emergency situations) is about as popular with the moderators as the dreaded 'E' debate. I find it absurd that anyone here would give pause to federal regulations if such an infraction would ultimately save your life.

 

[TailGator911]

Hypotheticals aside, I believe that kind of goes without saying. I really don't think anyone here doesn't get that. But, thanks for the reminder