June 2011. Carol Martin was preparing dinner for her family at their campsite along the Meramec River when she heard the words no parent ever wants to hear. “Mom! A snake bit Parker!” Her daughter, Olivia, rushed to her side. Carol dropped everything and raced to her son. Parker sat on a rock, clutching his wrist, his face white and clammy. Carol fished her cell phone out of her shorts pocket. This was an emergency. They needed help. She frantically tapped 9-1-1 on the screen and hit Send. But the call wouldn’t go through. It couldn’t go through. She was out of range.
It’s a scenario we’d rather avoid and yet all of us are just as much at risk because of our reliance on cell phones. Most of us today remember 9/11 and the frustration experienced by so many New Yorkers who couldn’t get in touch with family due to telecommunication networks that were simply overloaded. While technology has improved in the last decade, two things are as true today as they were on 9/11. No matter what cell phone provider you have, you can count on your cell phone to fail and when you and your family need it most.
Unlike cell phones, two-way radio can send and receive a signal with no help from others. This is why radio remains the best and most reliable form of communications when it comes to emergencies. With two-way radios you are your own locally operated independent radio station. There’s no middle man and no cost either. With cell phones all of us are reliant on centralized telecommunication systems. All your calls have to go through the service provider’s network. If the network goes down or you’re out of range, then you’re out of touch and out of luck. Is that what you want if your child is bitten by a snake on your next float trip?
In widespread disasters telecommunication systems get overloaded, just like they did in New York on 9/11. These systems are designed to make money and in times of uncertainty when people want to reach out and talk to friends and family the most, the system will spark telecom gridlock. And what happens if you just happen to be on a float trip in the middle of a tornado or straight-line winds that knock cell phone towers down, rendering your smartphone worthless? This is why you don’t want to leave home without a two-way radio. A radio like the Midland XT511 GMRS Two-Way Emergency Crank Radio is ideal for float trips because it’s water resistant, has 22 GMRS/FRS channels and all 10 NOAA weather channels with alert function, features VOX automatic voice-activated operation, and a rechargeable battery that’s powered by dynamo hand crank. With the Midland XT511 GMRS Two-Way Emergency Crank Radio, you don’t need a license to operate it and it’s the radio you won’t want to be without on your next float trip.
When it comes to emergency preparedness on your family’s next float trip, bring the cell phones but don’t be without a two-way radio. When cell phones fail, and they inevitably will when your family needs them most, having a two-way radio can be the difference between life and death.
The story they used to illustrate how important it is to have two way radios was very powerful. I can imagine how amazing having these would be during an emergency like this. I have had emergencies like this and it would have been nice to have a radio like this.