Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Life Saving Emergency Communication Equipment Pennsylvania Area

By Rebekah Alford


Disasters and danger come in all shapes and sizes. Tornadoes and tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes, bombs and gunmen to name but a few have sadly become a part and parcel of everyday life. If you live in Syria or Somalia for example you may be in constant danger and therefore always alert. If you live in Europe or America you expect your government to protect you to a large extent and warn you in advance of any unfolding calamity. And so there is a call for emergency communication equipment Pennsylvania area and anywhere else disaster may strike.

Despite the advances in communications with the advent of computers and mobile phones, both have inherent problems in an emergency situation. Social media may well be able to foment the odd revolution but networks do get overloaded when panic sets in and then, like television which can also be an important vehicle for mass communication, they depend on electricity, cables and transmission towers none of which might be functional.

Radios powered by batteries are often recommended as part of a survival kit for those who do live in the world's danger spots. But inevitably the batteries will run down at the crucial time. A more reliable system is needed.

Sirens have been used to give the alarm for many, many years. Air raid warnings were part and parcel of daily life in places like London during WW2. Before their invention, church bells were rung to warn of danger, famously in the movie The Magnificent Seven.

In recent times it has often been the case that Radio Hams or amateur radio enthusiasts have been able to communicate easily and freely, for example during Hurricane Katrina. Two way radios or Walkie Talkies are the preferred equipment of the service personnel. Though not effective over a distance of more than a couple of miles, this is seldom relevant in a disaster scenario.

The State of Pennsylvania is aware of its responsibilities towards its citizens. It has therefore set up an Emergency Alert System using satellite based technology known as EMnet. This is linked to television and radio stations and facilitates the distribution of early warning or emergency alert. They have also established an Auxiliary Communications Service with the help of volunteers like amateur radio users.

No matter how well prepared the authorities may be, however, it is of prime importance that the citizens are made to understand what might be meant by the various alarms and what they should do in each case. Often they will suspect a hoax if an unsolicited text message suddenly tells them a gunman has opened fire at the local supermarket and taken hostages. Some might even go to check it out. Many people have been blinded by rushing to look out of the windows during bombing raids which caused glass to fall in on them. In an earthquake too people should know what places are safest to shelter.

One other problem of early warning systems is that people often ignore them. Unless there is an obvious situation like a hurricane blowing up they may not take the first warning seriously enough. This can be fatal especially if there is a terrorist attack mounted. The emergency communication equipment Pennsylvania area can alleviate this problem through public address announcements and education.




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