Emergency Operations and Guidelines

If, multiple times, you hear a bad signal coming in on the repeater, ask if there is someone with emergency traffic. If they are still not clear enough ask them to say “BREAK, BREAK, BREAK” if they are in need of help. If they are in need and you are assisting someone calling try and follow the guidelines listed below;

  • Obtain the person’s name and location immediately. 

    • Ask if they have a call sign. 

    • Ask if they can provide their lat / long

      • If they have an iPhone, ask them to open the compass app which is installed on their phone by default and will give a lat / long even without service.

      • (Section for Android)

      • Ask if they use What Three Words, and if they do, ask for it.

    • Ask for their description of clothing

    • Ask for the best route of travel to their location.

    • If they cannot give a specific location, ask them to explain where they started and what is around them.

      • What road are they on?

      • What trail did they hike?

    • Gather Information about their vehicle / transportation.

      • What this the make / model?

      • What color?

      • Are they with the vehicle or separated from it?

  • What is their emergency? 

    • Do they need Law Enforcement, EMS, or Fire?

    • Are they injured?

      • Is there a loss of blood or broken limb? 

    • Call 911 and relay all of this information immediately.

  • Make notifications to other GMRS operators that may be able to assist you.

    • Quickly you will find that you will be overwhelmed with assisting with an emergency. Once an emergency notification has been made, contact other GMRS users to see if they can assist

      • They can assist with phone calls.

      • Listen and repeat traffic you may have missed.

  • After reporting their emergency, gather additional information.

    • Their phone number 

    • Their city they live

    • Friend or family emergency contact number.

  • Resources Needed

    • Do they have adequate food and shelter?

    • Are they alone or are there others with the victim?

    • What is the current and anticipated weather at their location?

  • Encourage them to save their battery 

    • Ask them what their battery level is and have a plan to avoid unnecessary traffic that may be taking from their remaining battery life.

    • Establish a plan to communicate with them over a standard time frame. For example, every 15 minutes.

    • If there is any traffic on the radio that does not pertain to the emergency, assert command and ask them to keep the channel open as there is an ongoing emergency.

  • Provide support

    • If the person is having an EMS emergency, take a moment to google and relay information that may be helpful.

    • If you cannot provide assistance, have a plan to transfer assistance to another operator and make sure it is communicated to the victim(s).

    • Assure them that either you or someone will be there for them until help arrives.