DC Emergency Radio Network

The DC Emergency Radio Network
Covering the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area
www.dcradio.org

The DC Emergency Radio Network is an alternate means of communication during an emergency. In the event of a power, telephone, cell phone or Internet failure, the DC Emergency Radio Network (DCERN) can keep you in touch with your neighbors, your family and officials.

DCERN uses Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios on channel 1, no privacy channel (subchannel 0).^*

Many people in Washington, DC already have FRS and GMRS radios. (FRS radios are those small handheld walkie-talkie radios that family and friends use to keep in touch at parks, on ski slopes, at Disneyworld and in malls. They're sold at Radio Shack, Best Buy, Staples and elsewhere. FRS radios are license-free and have a range of 1/4 to 1 mile; GMRS radios have a range of 5 to 10 miles or possibly more.)

If normal modes of communication go down or become unreliable --be it because of a terrorist attack, power outage, cell phone network congestion, storm or other problem-- the DC Emergency Radio Network is a pre-planned way of communicating and relaying vital information.

DCERN may also be called into service for other emergencies, such as searching for a lost child, or if neighbors need to evacuate their homes. If cell phone towers fail and you need to communicate while outside, your FRS or GMRS radio may be the only way to communicate.

In an emergency, tune your FRS/GMRS radio to the DC Emergency Radio Network on channel 1. DCERN may be your pipeline to emergency help and information.

DCERN works on the principle that the simplest means of communication is the most reliable in an emergency.

*Channels are different frequencies; subchannels, also called CTCSS codes, are "privacy codes" that enable you to restrict who can be part of your talk-group. That's handy for using these radios among family and friends. For emergency communications CTCSS codes should be off: displayed as 0 on FRS radios. Channel 1 is 462.5625 MHz.

DCERN is an outgrowth of neighborhood email lists. These lists have become vital tools, not only for day-to-day neighborhood information, but for emergency notices, and we thought it would be prudent to have a backup way for neighbors to communicate.

It’s the nature of emergencies that you can’t anticipate what may happen or what you’ll need. But it’s a good bet that communications will play a major role in any neighborhood or city-wide emergency. Emergencies such terrorist attacks, power failures (all too common), cell phone system outages -- those are the kind of instances when DCERN would be called into action.

What happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina --the complete destruction of all means of communication-- shows how unexpectedly and quickly communications can fail.

What is FRS? Is FRS radio like CB radio? Why does DCERN use FRS and GMRS radios?

Family Radio Service radios are just that -- portable, battery-operated radios intended for individuals and families. FRS radios are easy to use, inexpensive and don’t require a license. People use FRS radios to stay in touch while skiing, at sports events, at the beach, at amusement parks, while hiking -- just about everywhere.

GMRS radios, which have a greater ranger than FRS radios, are often sold side-by-side with FRS radios.

FRS radios have a range of about 1/4 mile in cities; up to 2 miles over water. They are free to use: There’s no per-minute charge, as with cell phones. GMRS radios have a range of 5 to 10 miles or more.

DCERN uses FRS and GMRS radios for several reasons. First, many neighbors already have them. Second, FRS and GMRS radios are inexpensive and very portable; they’re battery operated. Third, these radios are reliable. Fourth, the FRS/GMRS channel 1, subchannel 0 has become the universal emergency channel.

Would I need a DCERN radio if cell phones didn't work but land line phones did work?

During an emergency, cell phone networks can fail or become overwhelmed. Cell phone towers have backup batteries that only last a few hours; in a crisis when everyone's trying to use their cell phone, most people's signals won't go through. Land line phones, while more robust than cell phones, obviously won't work when you're outside. Your DCERN radio can provide you with a way to communicate with your family and neighbors if you can't use your cell phone.

If I don’t have an FRS or GMRS radio, where can I get one and what kind should I get?

You can buy FRS radios at Radio Shack, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, Hudson Trail Outfitters and other area stores—and, of course, on Amazon and eBay.

Some people prefer rechargeable radios; some people like radios that use disposable batteries. Which should you get? If you use your FRS or GMRS radio a lot, get one that uses rechargeable batteries. If you don’t use your radio often, or plan to use it just in emergencies, buy a radio that uses disposable batteries. (Most FRS and GMRS radios that use disposable batteries, AA's or AAA's, can also use rechargeable AA and AAA-sized batteries, too.) Rechargeable batteries, whether built into the radio or removable, have a relatively short shelf life—and when you turn on your rechargeable FRS radio that hasn’t been charged in a few weeks, it may be dead.

FRS radios can come with various features, including built-in GPS receivers, NOAA weather radios, call tones, vibrating alerts, digital compasses, and thermometers. These features add to the cost of an FRS radio (and consume power.) Consider your personal needs when shopping for an FRS or GMRS radio.

Having a built-in GPS is a handy feature. No more, “I can hear you, but where are you?” Your radio will point toward your companion’s radio.

All FRS radios have privacy channels (also called subchannels or CTCSS codes.) FRS radios generally have 14 different channels (frequencies) and 38 privacy channels. This helps ensure that you can only hear the party you want to talk with. (In an emergency, you want everybody to be on the same frequency, which is why we use channel 1, no subchannel/CTCSS code.) For the technically oriented, channel 1 is 462.5625 MHz. FRS radios are very easy to use and once you have an FRS radio in your hand, you'll be able to see and understand how it works -- words can't adequately show how simple FRS radios are to use.

In addition to FRS radios, there’s something called a GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radio. FRS and GMRS radios use some same frequencies --including channels-- but GMRS radios are more powerful, and have a greater range: perhaps 5 or 10 miles or more. But you need an FCC license to operate a GMRS radio. License applications are included with most radios; you don't need to take a test to get a GMRS license. FRS and GMRS radios should be able talk to each other (on channels 1 - 7); however, because GMRS radios are more powerful, if an FRS and GMRS radio are talking to each other, it’s possible that the distance will be such that the FRS user will be able to hear the GMRS operator, but not vice versa. Some GMRS radios lower their power when using FRS channels, such as channel 1.

Which should you get? While GMRS radios give you more transmitting range, GMRS radios are slightly more expensive than FRS radios and you do have to get a license (which costs $75 and cover an entire family for 5 years.) If you use a GMRS radio on the DC Emergency Radio Network, it is likely that people will be able to hear you whom you cannot hear. In addition, it's possible that on some brands of GMRS radios, or combination GMRS/FRS radios, the channel lineup may be different than it is on FRS radios. GMRS radios may give you that added range you want. Either will work well on the DC Emergency Radio Network. If you're still uncertain, buy a GMRS radio.

There’s never any harm in turning on your radio in an emergency -- or if you suspect an emergency. One of DCERN’s purposes is to inform. So, listen: Your neighbors or the police, if they have DCERN radios, may be on the air with news.

The first rule of surviving an emergency is to get away from the danger. In a crisis you may need to leave your office, your home, you car. Your family may be separated. Plan to have your DCERN radio with you.

When you turn your radio on, you can announce that you are on the air and listening. Say, “This is Jane Doe on 16th Street near Harvard Avenue, NW. I’m broadcasting on the DC Emergency Radio Network because I heard a loud bang and my Internet connection went down. Is there anyone else on the air?” Say what you need to say. Remember -- the purpose of this emergency network is to share information.

Don’t feel constrained by formality in an emergency, but do confine your communications to things about the emergency: Don’t tie up the frequency with unnecessary chatting.

Leave your radio on during the entire emergency. (Batteries willing -- it pays to have some spare batteries around.) By leaving your radio on, you may hear things from neighbors as the situation changes. Think of DCERN as a place to meet your neighbors in an emergency.

Your neighbors will be on the radio during an emergency. The police may, too. And the local fire department may also be on the air, as well as emergency workers.

One word of warning, though: Don’t rely on the DC Emergency Radio Network to summon the police: It is not meant to be a way to summon emergency services, as 911 is. If you need the police, an ambulance, or the fire department, call 911. But if your phone or cell phone doesn’t work, then by all means, use whatever means of communication you have, including DCERN.

Just because you can’t hear anyone, doesn’t mean that nobody can hear you. If you have important information to impart, transmit -- somebody may hear.

Get to higher ground: The top floor in your house, or your apartment’s roof. Transmission and reception range increase dramatically with height. In fact, the height of your radio is more important than your radio’s power when it comes to transmission range. You may be able to double the range of your radio by going up one story.

Leave your radio on. Not everyone will be part of an emergency net throughout an emergency. If you can’t hear somebody now, you may be able to in another five minutes.

Make sure you have the privacy channels turned off; if it's on, that will prevent you from hearing others on the emergency radio net. For many models of FRS radios --but not all-- the display will show a large "1" and a smaller "0" when set to channel 1, no privacy channel. Check that your radio's channel 1 is 462.5625 MHz, which is the case for most FRS radios. If not, consult your user manual and tune to the channel that uses 462.5625 MHz.

If you want to use your FRS radio specifically to talk with a particular neighbor or your family in an emergency, pick a specific channel/subchannel in advance and know how to tune your radios to that channel. You can always go back to channel 1, the emergency channel.

DCERN works like a relay, but not a straight line relay. The emergency channel may be busy, or quiet, depending on the nature of the emergency and on how many people in your neck of the woods have FRS radios.

The DC Emergency Radio Network isn’t run by any specific individual, partly because in an emergency we never know who will be around. Because FRS radios are FM, they will capture the strongest signal, so you'll only hear the person who's talking at that moment and who has the most powerful signal at any given moment

Wait for a pause in communications before talking. It’s possible that you’ll “step” on somebody else’s transmission now and then, but that’s expected. Don’t worry, and if you think that your transmission hasn’t gone through, transmit again.

Sometimes it’s useful to establish communications with somebody else before transmitting specific information. But if you’re not sure if anybody is listening and you have something important to say, say it anyway. Chances are that a neighbor will pick up your transmission.

Okay. I understand all that. But what I don’t understand is exactly how the DC Emergency Radio Network will be run during an emergency.

The short answer is that nobody knows. The nature of emergencies is that they are unpredictable: A tornado and a terrorist attack are two very different events, for example, and may affect Washington, DC in different ways. Nobody expected all forms of communication --the Internet, land line phones and cell phones-- o fail in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. In the Northeast blackout of 2003, nobody expected the cell phone system to collapse after a few hours.

Traditional emergency nets --amateur radio emergency nets for instance-- are run by somebody who assumes the position of net control, and who helps organize the radio traffic. A DCERN emergency radio network isn't run by any one person -- it is run by everyone on the net.

Unlike traditional emergency radio nets that use a centralized repeater (control station), DCERN is decentralized, making it robust and nearly invulnerable. Like the Internet itself, if parts of DCERN fail --that is, if some of your neighbors' radios aren't working-- other people will be able to transmit a message. Remove one part of the DC Emergency Radio Network, and the network itself still continues to work.

Channel 1 is very busy and I’m having trouble communicating with my neighbor. I really need to discuss something with him that doesn't have to do with the emergency.

It’s okay to leave channel 1 and have a direct one-to-one conversation with somebody else. In fact, if you want to talk with somebody else about something that does not pertain to the emergency at hand, you should select another frequency to do that.

1. If you can, announce that you are temporarily leaving the emergency net to go to channel 2 (or whatever channel). It’s standard procedure for emergency communication nets to let everyone know if you are going to be off the air for a while or are leaving permanently (but only if you have been actively talking on the net.)

2. Make sure that you and the person you want to talk with both arrive at the same new frequency. If you don’t, then return to channel 1 and try to coordinate a new frequency again.

It's a good idea to have a pre-planned channel, other than channel 1, that your family will use in an emergency. In a crisis, the DCERN emergency channel, 1, will be busy. But if your family has pre-selected, say, channel 4/subchannel 8, you'll have a way to communicate. Here's a tip: Write the channel/subchannel combination on your radio. In fact, the more you use your radio, the more comfortable you'll be using it in an emergency.

Many families in the Washington, DC area keep a GMRS radio at home and at the office, so family members can have a reliable way to communicate in an emergency. Remember, if cell phone networks fail, land line phones won't do you any good if you're outside.

But there are times when a handheld two-way radio is better than a cell phone. In an emergency, such as a terrorist attack, odds are that cell phone networks will be jammed and you may not be able to make or receive calls. (On 9/11 cell phone towers and switching centers were destroyed in New York City, too.) In in blackout lasting more than a few hours, many cell towers will stop working. If you want to find out what is happening in your neighborhood, an FRS/GMRS/DCERN radio is a better tool than a cell phone, because it connects you instantly with your neighbors. You can’t talk into your cell phone and say, “Can anybody tell me why the power is out?” But if you transmit that question on a DCERN radio, you’re likely to get an answer.

Will using an FRS radio on channel 1 in my neighborhood (Mt. Pleasant, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, etc.) interfere with other neighborhood emergency communications?

Not only will your using an FRS radio not interfere with other neighborhood communications, but we encourage people around Washington, DC to use FRS channel 1 during an emergency. It’s possible that emergency information can be relayed around the city this way.

You can find more about how other neighborhoods are using the DC Emergency Radio Network through DCERN's email list.

No. There's no membership fee or membership roster. All you need to do is tune your FRS/GMRS radio to channel 1 during an emergency. If you would like a free DCERN membership card, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

How do you know that real information and not rumors will be transmitted through DCERN?

It is possible that rumors rather than facts will permeate DCERN during an emergency. But it's also true that rumors can cross the television airwaves, too -- witness the rumor on 9/11 that the State Department had been bombed. With email lists, it's the same thing: Is that fact or rumor? Many times you don't know if something is correct until you receive confirmation from another source -- and that's the case for the media, email lists and DCERN.

DCERN is not a substitute for normal sources of information, such as television, radio, the Internet, and email and pager alerts. But during a crisis these sources may be unavailable for a variety of predictable and unpredictable reasons; DCERN is meant to be a redundant means of communicating.

One of DCERN's purposes is to communicate information. But DCERN also has as its purpose to foster a sense of community during a crisis. When we're literally in the dark, it will be comforting to be able to hear our neighbors' voices.

Yes. When there’s an emergency --a terrorist attack, chemical spill, tornado, power outage-- normal modes of communication may fail. DCERN is fail-safe means for people, including residents and emergency responders, to be able to communicate in an urgent situation.

DCERN is not meant to replace 911, cell phones, or official radio communications -- people should use regular emergency communications systems first. But when normal communications falter, DCERN can fill in the gaps.

DC residents will be glad that local police officers, paramedics, fire fighters and other officials are on the emergency network during a crisis. And you may find that reports from local residents are helpful, too. Have your FRS/GMRS radio charged and handy. It couldn’t hurt.

Our neighborhood would like to utilize this emergency communications network even more. Can we use DCERN as a 24/7 emergency radio call system?

Some neighborhoods may elect to monitor FRS channel 1 all the time, in case somebody needs help. That is a perfectly acceptable use for the DC Emergency Radio Network, and is in fact what REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams) suggests. Remember, though, an FRS radio is not like a cell phone and should not be relied on to summon the police, fire or ambulance.

You might want to get a NOAA weather radio. NOAA weather radios will alert you if there's a severe storm, tornado or other disaster heading your way. NOAA weather radios now can be tuned into specific counties, so that you will only be alerted for emergencies in your specific area.

There are several free internet-based emergency alert services that can send a message to your email address, cellular telephone or pager in the event of an emergency. One that works well is the Emergency Email and Wireless Network.

If you want to take communications to the next level, consider getting an amateur radio license. Like FRS radios, amateur radios are free to use, but you do need to be licensed (and take a test) to use ham radios. A satellite telephone is another option. Satellite phones use satellites in low earth orbit rather than terrestrial towers, as cell phones do. Satellite phones are a little bigger and much more expensive to use than cell phones.

What is the relationship between DCERN and the various neighborhood email lists?

The DC Emergency Radio Network is an outgrowth of the Cleveland Park email list. Both are non-profit, community-oriented organizations. DCERN was started by list founder Bill Adler, who, as an amateur radio operator and pilot, has considerable experience in radio communications. He has participated in amateur radio emergency communications nets.

The Cleveland Park Emergency Radio Network has become the DC Emergency Radio Network -- connecting people and neighborhoods in an emergency. Through word-of-mouth, DCERN has spread throughout the Washington, DC metro area, encompassing not only the District, but suburban Maryland and Virginia, too. A number of DC-area email lists, community groups, citizens associations and unaffiliated individuals are participating in the region-wide emergency radio network. The nature of FRS radios makes it possible for information to be relayed throughout Washington, DC and vicinity by FRS radio in an emergency. You do not need to be a member of an email list to use DCERN.

Contact your local neighborhood list moderator or citizens association for more information about your local emergency radio network. Or create your own local DCERN group. One way to spread the word about the DC Emergency Radio Network is through neighborhood block captains. You are welcome to download the DCERN flyer as well as other materials on this website. Members of email lists, neighborhoods and groups from around the Washington, DC area are participating in DCERN, or may be able to provide you with more information, including:

(Click on the above links to find out more about these neighborhoods. If your neighborhood or group isn't on this list, please let us know.)

DCERN is a practical and effective measure that Washington, DC area residents can take for ourselves.

There isn’t an emergency radio network in my neighborhood. How do I start one?

You can contact the moderator of your local email list and suggest starting a neighborhood emergency radio network. If you neighborhood does not have an email list, just set up a local DCERN group yourself. Feel free to borrow from this website and distribute the DCERN flyer. Feel free to contact Bill Adler at 202-986-9275, by email, or through www.cleveland-park.com.

Keep informed about the DC Emergency Radio Network through DCERN's email list. Joining the DCERN email list is, of course, optional, and you can quit the list at any time. For more information about DCERN's listserv or to sign up, visit, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcern or enter your email address in the box below:

NEW: There are now DC Emergency Radio Network stickers, which you can put on the back of your FRS or GMRS radio. These stickers say:

DC Emergency Radio Network
In an emergency, tune to FRS/GMRS channel 1
www.dcradio.org

The lettering is red on a silver background. If you want any send an SASE (an envelope with postage) to this address, along with a note telling us how many you would like. The stickers are free.

Bill Adler
Adler & Robin Books, Inc.
Suite 317
3000 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008

202-986-9275

UPDATE: In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita this page is being updated. If there are any questions that we haven't answered, or if you spot any errors or omissions here, please let us know. Our email addresses are dcern@email.netmails.net and dcern@adlerbooks.com

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