[LINK] SMS - shortcomings in emergency services

[Ivan Trundle]

On 20/09/2008, at 5:58 PM, Kim Holburn wrote:

>> All
>> that is required is for an element of ubiquity in the public's
>> understanding of how communications are relayed in times of crisis:
>> many expect the AM radio service to do this, but I'd imagine that
>> there is a generational blind-spot here, or a lack of education.
>
> Umm, and you'd have to have a battery powered radio to hand which I
> think many households may not these days.  Although my mobile
> functions as an fm radio in extremis, the radio function chews through
> the battery.

Maybe so in cities, but in the country, this is quite different: AM  
radios (and batteries) are much more prevalent. In the Canberra  
bushfires, batteries became a useful commodity, and at a premium  
price: but people lapped them up in affected regions: I recall buying  
D cells at something like $2 per cell at the time. Hardware stores  
were selling them at any price, and sourcing cheap imports to satisfy  
demand.

It would be interesting to see how many households have radios: in  
Canberra after the bushfires, all of my neighbours had one, even if  
they did not beforehand: some even sat in their cars to hear the  
broadcasts: mobile phones remained useless for up to 4 days, simply  
because they were swamped: electricity was delivered before SMS.

iT