Let’s say we have experienced an actual emergency in Cache Valley.
If the emergency occurred during work or school hours, is your Family Communications Plan prepared and does everyone in your family know how to get in contact?
If communications systems are overloaded, have you specified an out-of-area contact that each family member can communicate through when local calls are not possible?
If you need emergency assistance but local communications systems have failed, do you know the disaster communications procedures used by the first responders responsible for your community?
These are just a few of the things to consider when you make a family emergency communications plan. Let’s discuss that last scenario a little more - an inoperable phone system.
When communications systems are operating normally, it is always best to dial 9-1-1 to report a true emergency requiring law enforcement, firefighters or an ambulance. Your need will be triaged, prioritized, and placed in line with all the other incidents waiting to be dispatched to the appropriate responders.
If a disaster has tied up local lines, there are some other options to try. If you have a wifi connection through your phone you can try to make a call by enabling wifi calling in your settings. It's available on most Android and iOS devices and can be useful in areas with poor or no cellular coverage. If you are not sure if this would work with your provider, I encourage you to test the feature to see if it could help in an emergency.
Another option in Cache County is "text-to-911", which can be helpful when local phone systems experience high use, because text messages use less bandwidth than voice calls, so dispatch centers can receive more texts during times of high call volume.
To access the text-to-911 system, open a new message using “911” as the recipient (no dashes), type a message and send. Here are some guidelines if you need to use the service:
Provide your exact address or location
Briefly explain the type of emergency
Be prepared to answer any questions that the 911 telecommunicator texts back
Use plain language; no abbreviations, symbols, emoticons or photos
Messages should be brief and concise - 160 characters are all you have to work with
If you do attempt contact via text and the service is not available in the area, you should receive a bounce-back message notifying you the message was not received at a dispatch center.
In Newton, for example, when a disaster occurs the first responders will gather at the fire station when alerted by dispatch, or on their own, in order to complete an assessment of damage in the community. The same would be true in Clarkston. If you live in those communities the fire station is the place to go if you cannot get help with a phone call or text-to-911.
Additionally, Newton does have an emergency communication center at the town hall that could help citizens get in contact with emergency services via amateur radio, once it is activated. As far as I am aware, there are no emergency communications centers established in the communities of Amalga, Benson and Clarkston, but as Clarkston does have first responders, if it is safe to travel, attempt to locate a fire department unit and ask them to coordinate a response to your emergency.
For those living in Amalga and Benson where you are a significant distance from a fire station, it would be beneficial to make contact with the Smithfield Fire Department to learn how to get fire and EMS help during a disaster - if normal communications modes have failed.
If you are a licensed amateur operator living in Amalga or Benson, Smithfield does have a functioning emergency communication center at the fire station where amateur radio operators will assemble during a disaster. When you contact the fire station you could also ask them how you could help your remote community communicate the need for fire and EMS response with their ECC during a disaster.
This training has focused on just one aspect of communications in an emergency. For additional information on how to prepare a family emergency communications plan I encourage you to research the topic on ready.gov and beready.utah.gov via the following links: