The Three M's of Church Emergency Communications

Church guidelines for emergency communications refer to "three M's."  That is, during an emergency, normal means of communication may become inoperable.  Priesthood leaders should consider the three M's: how to contact missionaries and members following a disaster and how to communicate the status of church buildings (meetinghouses) and other necessary information to area leaders.

The church suggests two viable options that are unlikely to be affected by civil emergencies or natural disasters: satellite telephones and amateur radio.  These two are currently the most logical solutions to the communications problem, as both land line and mobile phone networks are likely to be inoperable following a disaster of the magnitude we are talking about.  What fragments of the network that are left intact will be heavily overloaded by the influx of calls from concerned relatives trying to get in touch with their lost loved ones.