LOGAN STOREHOUSE ERC
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SUMMARY
(NOTE: This has been condensed from a Welfare Services white paper, circa 2008 by Brother Douglas L. Reneer of LDS Church Welfare Services)
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
WIRED OR LAND-BASED TELEPHONES
We are most comfortable with these telephones because we use them automatically without giving conscious thought to their operation. We know their advantages, but some of their weaknesses need some explanation.
1. Overload. The telephone system is designed and built to handle a specified number of calls at any given time, usually between 10 and 15% of its subscribers. If more users attempt to call they will not get a dial tone. In a disaster most of the subscribers will attempt to place a call to friends or relatives or to local authorities, causing an overload.
2. Physical damage. The modern telephone system has a very sophisticated infrastructure. It is only necessary to have a failure at one point in the system path to cause the system to fail.
3. Dependence on commercial power. At one time the land-based telephone network was extremely reliable. It consisted of a relatively simple network of copper wires that carried their own power. The phone companies provided power for the network and emergency power as well. Present day systems no longer use copper wired trunk lines but fiber-optic lines which are more fragile and require a device know as a digital-loop carrier that is powered by local power companies. Therefore in most cases when the local power goes the phones go. In addition many homes have replaced their corded phones with cordless phones that are household power-dependent.
CELLULAR TELEPHONES
Most of us use cellular phones on a regular basis and are quite comfortable with their use.
1. Overload. The cellular system is even more sensitive to overload than the wired system. The cellular industry is extremely competitive. Economics dictates that system capacity to be sized very closely to the maximum number of calls placed on a normal day. Overload may occur even during normal times when usage tends to be the greatest.
2. Physical damage. The cellular system is even more susceptible to physical damage than the land-based system since it is entirely dependent on the land-based system to interconnect its cell sites plus it includes cell towers that add to the vulnerability.
3. Dependence on commercial power. Initially each cell site was constructed with battery backup that could maintain operation for up to 4 hours. Current practice is to build sites with no back-up power. When commercial power fails the cell site is down.
4. Portable cells. Portable cells called cells on wheels (COW) exist in the inventories of some of the larger providers. They are dispersed around the county with no more than one in each service area. They are self-contained with their own power generation. Because of their very limited numbers and the distance most must be transported they are not available in the initial hours of the disaster. A COW only works with is own cellular provider. Economics curtails the production of more than a few of these portable cells. Cost of a COW is around $300,000.
5. Cell phone systems are not mutually compatible. Cell phone providers use different technologies which include TDMA, GSM, CDMA and wideband CDMA. AT&T and Cingular use TDMA. Verizon, Sprint and Cricket use CDMA. A few of the providers including AT&T are providing GSM service which is used internationally. The lack of a standard cell phone protocol plus provider unique software makes it impossible to use a portable cell for more that a single provider.
6. Some cell phone providers will bring in large quantities of cell phones to a disaster location and distribute them to governmental agencies and the Red Cross as a public service. The effect is sometimes negative because the additional load on the system adds to the difficulty of getting a circuit.
AMATEUR RADIO
Advantages:
1. Reliability. Amateur radio is by far the most reliable emergency communications mode due to its simplicity, independence from commercial infrastructure, flexibility and redundancy. Public service agencies use ham radio to interface between their individual communications systems and to provide additional communications resources at locations such as shelters and relief agencies.
2. In addition to providing point-to-point communications like the telephone it has a conferencing capability that allows communication with large numbers of locations simultaneously as well as monitoring information sources.
3. Costs are minimal (new hand-held radios sell for as little as $99) and the cost to the Church could be considered close to nothing since most operators already own their own equipment.
4. Because amateur radio includes an immense number of frequencies, many of which can be used to communicate worldwide, the FCC controls its use by licensing its operators. Licensing requires some study to pass the examination, however in recent years the FCC has made it much easier to obtain a license, especially for the technician class for local communications. In the US an unlicensed person may operate a ham radio if a license holder is present to assure that FCC regulations are being complied with. Thus a Church leader may use the radio if he desires or he may have his operator communicate in his behalf.
5. Amateur radio allows direct interface of Church officials with civil authorities and other relief agencies.
6. In severe disasters amateur radio is generally the only available mode of communication in the early hours of the disaster aftermath when communications is most critical.
7. There are many new technologies available in amateur radio to add diversity and capability.
Disadvantages:
1. In a severe disaster radio operators in the affected area may be so impacted as to not be able to serve. Personal and family needs will naturally come first. To counter this situation planning by Church leaders may include provisions for communication functions to be handled by operators from a neighboring stake or ward.
2. Licensing may be considered a disadvantage in that it requires a degree of effort. The plus side of licensing is that the trained operator brings communications skills that may be very useful in disaster situations.
3. Communications are not secure. Anyone with the proper radio equipment may listen.
SATELLITE PHONES
Advantages:
1. Most Bishop’s Storehouses have at least one satellite phone. The Church is using the Iridium system, the same satellite provider used by the Department of Defense. The advantage of this is the assurance that Iridium will be maintained as a reliable system and is likely to remain in business for the foreseeable future. The capacity of the Iridium system exceeds any potential demand so that there is almost no chance of overload except in specific situations such as occurred in Iraq during the recent war.
2. The system is independent of local infrastructure.
3. The satellite phone offers privacy of communications as does the cell or wired phone.
Disadvantages:
1. The principal problem experienced with the satellite phones is the lack of familiarity with its operation. Like any electronic device it requires some training to be used comfortably. People who use it regularly have no difficulty with it.
2. The hand-held model generally must be used outside to obtain a reliable satellite connection. This may be difficult to impossible in certain situations.
3. Battery maintenance may be a problem if the phone is not used regularly and the operator is not familiar with correct battery charging procedures.
It is current Welfare Service policy to use a layered approach to emergency communications. Reliability is greatly enhanced by the redundancy of having multiple technologies available to back up the telephone. Amateur radio and satellite telephones complement each other very nicely in the backup role.
RECOMMENDED MODES OF COMMUNICATIONS IN THE EARLY HOURS/DAYS AFTER A DISASTER
--GENERAL PRINCIPLE: Use the simplest and most familiar mode possible. If telephones work—use them.
1. Ward to ward or stake: Amateur radio. Where distances are short CB, FRS or MURS radio may work.
2. Stake to on-site Church emergency operations center (EOC): Amateur radio.
3. Stake or on-site Church EOC to local government EOC and relief agencies (Red Cross, etc.): Amateur radio.
4. Stake or on-site Church EOC to nearest bishops’ storehouse: Amateur radio.
5. Between bishops’ storehouses: Satellite telephone or amateur radio.
6. On-site Church EOC or bishops’ storehouse to Church headquarters: Satellite phone or amateur radio.
TIPS ON USING THE LAND-BASED TELEPHONE DURING OVERLOAD CONDITIONS
1. If you pick up the phone and there is no dial tone, rather than hang up and try again later, keep the handset to your ear and wait for a dial tone. When overloaded, the phone system operates on a queue basis. The first one to pick up is first in line. So waiting will eventually bring you a dial tone.
2. Pay phones have priority over residential and business phones. You have a much better chance of getting a call through by going to a pay telephone. You may have noticed in the TV coverage of the recent blackout in the eastern part of the country, scenes of long lines at pay phones in New York City. Due to the overload these were the only operating telephones in town.
3. The two suggestions above do not apply to cell phones. Getting a call through on an overloaded cellular system may be aggravated by the fact that in some areas law enforcement, medical and fire services are issued a code that gives their calls priority over all others. Some states do not allow this priority system for fear of incurring lawsuits.
Mercury Amateur Radio Association (MARA)
Church leaders should be aware that although MARA once served as the emergency communications organization for the Church, that relationship was terminated in 1991 for legal reasons. The Church and MARA no longer have any relationship.
Emergency communication for the Church is directed by Welfare Services under the name of Emergency Response Communications (ERC). MARA continues to exist as a club, but should not be relied upon to serve in times of emergency. The Church emergency communications program is outlined on page 15 of “Church Welfare Resources, for use in the United States and Canada”.