COMMUNICATION IN REMOTE SETTINGS

Focus - Emergency Services

ScenariosEmergencies can happen anytime and anywhere. Even a simple car accident with no injuries can

leave you stranded with no cell phone coverage and 360 degrees of options in terms of where to go for shelter, food and water. The line between life and death only gets small as you factor in injuries, weather and remoteness. Without a map or a way to communicate with the outside world, there is little you can do but survive off of the skills you have learned and the items you have with you. For most people, that would leave them with next to no experience for such situations and unfortunately just as much in their trunks in the way of emergency supplies. Even a well organized and highly trained motorist will need assistance soon if these other factors complicate what has occurred.

This certainly is a reality for anyone. But what about those of us who like to recreate in the outdoors? A simple hike in a state park could easily put you 10 miles off the main road. What if you were with a group of boy or girl scouts on a weekend camping trip? Would you have all that you need? Even if your cell phone were to work, how do you explain your location and how you can be found, especially if you have broken a leg and you cannot move? Again, most people would not. However, one could take a class or course in such skills as Wilderness First Aid. But even with training, it can be a life and death situation if communication cannot be established with Emergency Services while in a backcountry setting.

A backcountry or remote emergency setting, often referred to as a Wilderness Medicine setting, is medically defined as 1 hour away from definitive care or in other words, a hospital or professional pre-hospital care. This 1st hour is vital in terms of receiving needed care and is proven by survival rates and therefore it is critical to reach help as soon as possible. EMS & Paramedics provide life sustaining medical services; however, only doctors have the legal ability to make certain decisions and thus can provide a larger scope of medical services. Keep in mind however that not all hospitals may have the necessary staff or equipment that a certain type of patient may need. For some situations a patient may have to go to a Trauma Center or a specialist in some particular field of medical study. Situations such as these require not only a higher level of medical training, but logistically tend to demand a longer trip for the patient and thus a helicopter maybe needed to provide transportation.

Any one of these examples can easily require an hour before help can arrive. In a hiking or backpacking scenario, in can take hours upon hours just to pull the needed resources together for a major patient evacuation. This can turn into days if the only thing known about a patient is that they need help and that they are lost somewhere in a state forest. This clock only starts once the 911 system and related services are contacted by the patient, activity members or an outside party that has decided that there must be an emergency. Because of all this, it is important to consider what options and technology are available in order to be prepared.

People & Organizations

User, Patient or Subject Backpackers Remote Recreation Boys & Girl Scouts Travelers Field Workers Fishermen, Boaters

Emergency Services EMTs Fire Police HAZMAT SAR – Search &

Rescue

Technologies

Trunk Radio Systems Satellite phones SPOT Tracker

Google Earth

Trunk Radio System

Centre County Radio System Motorola Type II Smartnet Computer Controlled from Dispatch Office 800 MHz UHF (Ultra High Frequency Radios & Pagers 4 voice channels for all County Services

Talk Groups… “unlimited”

Digital Data Control with 1 Backup control

155.16000

150.77500

155.16000

155.16000

Things to consider

Half Duplex… Key a busy channel… busy Others can listen in… scanners

Hills and Mountains interfere with line of sight

Repeaters are needed for longer distances

Satellite Phones

“Satphones” Size Range (Large to Cell) Line of sight Two way (Full Duplex) VoIP Satellites Expensive ($1000 +) LEO Satellites (O – 2000 km) Globalstar (Loral Corp. &

Qualcomm)

SPOT

Satellite Communication Device Allows for GPS Coordinates to be passed Preset messages for various uses Cheap ($150) Insurance available ($8) Google Tracker ($50)

Line of Sight Requires Batteries

How does the SPOT Network Work?

• GPS Satellites provide coordinates.

• SPOT Messenger's onboard GPS chip determines your exact location and sends your message to SPOT Satellite System.

• SPOT Commercial Satellites relay your message to specific satellite antennas around the world.

• Satellite antennas and supporting equipment route your message and location to the appropriate network.

• Your message is delivered to the appropriate recipient via text message, email or emergency service notification.

99% OR BETTER PROBABILIITY OF SUCCESSFULLY SENDING A SINGLE MESSAGE WITHIN 20 MINUTES.

96% TO 99% PROBABILITY OF SUCCESSFULLY SENDING A SINGLE MESSAGE WITHIN 20 MINUTES.

REDUCED OR NO COVERAGE AVAILABLE WITHIN A 20 MINUTE PERIOD.

NO COVERAGE IN THIS AREA.

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The Future

Centre County has been preparing for its next stages

Full Digital System No one can scan Very costly Long time to install Makes previous equipment next to

useless Backup?

APRS

Automatic Packet Radio System Automatic Position Reporting System

HAM Radio GPS Receiver “Black Box” – takes and receive GPS info

and passes it on through Radio

Send and receive way points for searchers

Related Issues

Skill Level –People over estimate what they are capable of handling

in relation to emergencies. These devices allow for people to feel even more prepared then they naturally assume.

If one wants to assure the highest level of safety, they must have the skills to handle a situation on their own and not to rely on others or equipment.

Emergency Crew Safety – Due to people being feeling safer with such devices,

they tend to go “deeper” into the wilderness or perform riskier activities. Because of this, emergency responders have to risk their health and well being and even lives more severely and more often.

PERSONAL RESOURCES•The Center for Wilderness Safety

www.WildSafe.org

•SPOTwww.FindMeSpot.com

•NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)www.NOLS.edu

•LNT (Leave No Trace)www.LNT.org