1. Radio Technologies: their importance in Rural Crisis Response Dawn Wright LIBR 281 San Jose State University

2. Radio Communications: -Are an important interface between and informal channels. -Provide pre-crisis community preparation. -Provide crisis mitigation technology when utilities have failed. -Are instrumental in post-crisis community resolution.

3. -A cultural, community-based resource in many rural areas. ( Romo-Murphy, James, Adams, 2011 ) -Residents depend on community radio for local news, community activities, content consistent with local culture. -News and information from outside the community may be available through public broadcasting. -Because it has such a strong community presence, it may be seen as a two-way communication tool. -Transmission ranges from 0-100 miles ( Informatics in disaster and radio technologies, 2013 )

4. According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, a marine VHF radio is the most important and least expensive, two-way communication equipment that should be purchased ( US Department of Homeland Security, 2013). -Transmits up to 100 miles -The FCC designates channel 9 for public use -Channel 16 is reserved for US government emergency, distress and safety communication. Range, price, availability and interface with government and non-government agencies, makes Marine VHF Radio a key piece of personal crisis/disaster technology.

5. -NOAA Weather All Hazard Radio provides one way accurate weather and disaster information, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, in the United States including the Great Lakes, Hawaii and Alaska. -Provide alerts from State and Federal Emergency Management for natural disasters, environmental crisis and issues of public safety. -Frequencies are tailored to locality -Multiple language support is available -Services available for the hearing impaired -

6. -International, two-way radio technology -non-governmental, local long –range transmission, manned by licensed operators. -An important link between formal and informal crisis communication systems, HAM radio operators should be utilized in crisis/disaster situations in the United States, as well as internationally ( Federal Communications Commission, 2012). - Providing services across the globe, HAM/Shortwave radio is a vital component of community based resources.

7. -May be used for commercial and personal use -A range from 5 – 25 miles. -A tool for staging, search and rescue and coordination activities -Potential to interface with governmental and non-governmental, two-way technologies, such as VHF and HAM

8. Community Radio In a crisis/natural disaster, there is the likelihood for disruption of services. Community Radio plays a key roll at all stages. Local residents depend on community radio for cultural support.  Lintas Merapi Community Radio, was established in Central Java. An inexpensive, effective warning, to warn the public of impending volcanic activity, was implemented through community donations. - As a resource established by the community itself, the issue of trust in a crisis informatics system was maintained. - Using cultural knowledge, villagers established grass roots towers, with visual of Mt. Merapi. Short-range radio further enhanced system. -The radio station evolved, to become a transforming information source.

9.  Radio Djati, Indonesia was instrumental in post –crisis re- organization, after the 2004 Tsunami in Banda Aceh. -Local insight from disaster relief, led to more portable units, with FM range equipment. -Personal FM radios were distributed to the village. -Most importantly, volunteers played culturally familiar music, to instill a sense of normalcy and community. -Efforts at organization and implementation from outside entities was blocked, due to lack of trust in these systems. Post-disaster community cohesion supports ongoing sustenance and evolution of the community resource. This further supports resilience, reduces marginalization of vulnerable populations. -

10. NOAA Weather Radio All Hazard  Integral part of government Emergency Management Disaster planning across the United States. -Vulnerable Native American villages on the Washington coast depend on NOAA Radio for Tsunami and flood warnings. -West of the Cascade Mountains in rural Washington, citizens are encouraged to program NOAA units in preparation for the possible magnitude 7 to 9 earthquake and Tsunami. -A trusted source of community information, it reaches 85% of the population, across 50 states ( National Weather Service, 2013).

11. Amateur Radio (HAM/Shortwave)  Providing a range that spans the glove, HAM is a vital resource in a crisis/disaster. -There is a high likelihood of services disruption ( Hagar, 2012) -Nationally, HAM is an integral part of formal disaster planning. Governments depend on amateur stations to relay information about current disaster status, victim location and service needs. -Bloggers in Banda Aceh, observed in 2004 a loss of utilities and the subsequent lifeline that HAM s provided the communities. -HAM operators with generators became the successful interface between government and non-government relief efforts.

12. -As a part of local culture, HAM operators provide pre-disaster planning. - HAM is a Last Mile Warning System ( Gurnstein, 2005). Without utilities, HAM is supported by generator and solar power. This ground –up response is culturally sensitive and responsive, based on local knowledge, volunteers and services.

13. Citizen Band Radio & VHF Radio  Also a part of the Last Mile Warning System, these grassroots technologies are well suited to fill the gaps between citizens, as well as between citizens and local governments. -Search and Rescue efforts, water relay and communication relay are the niche for CB and VHF Radio, in a healthy crisis informatics system.

14. Global, as well as community, disaster plans include radio technologies for important reasons.  Radio is a trusted source for community monitoring or two-way communication.  Community radio educates the population prior to a disaster  Radio technologies provide short, long and global transmission range.  Interpersonal communication, so important in a crisis, can be provided by radio technologies, with or without standard utilities.  Accurate, trusted information, through trusted sources is integral to a healthy crisis informatics system. Radio is this source.

15. Federal communication commission. (2012, August). Report to congress on amateur radio in emergencies and disaster relief. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/document/report-congress-amateur-radio- emergencies-and-disaster-relief http://www.fcc.gov/document/report-congress-amateur-radio- emergencies-and-disaster-relief Gurstein, M. (2005). Tsunami warning systems and the last mile: Towards community based and ict enabled disaster response systems. The journal of community informatics, 1 (2), 14-17 Hagar, C. (2010). Crisis informatics. ASIS&T, June/July, Retrieved from http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Jun-10/JunJul10_Hagar.html http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Jun-10/JunJul10_Hagar.html National weather Service. (2013) NOAA weather radio all hazards. Retrieved from http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/ Romo-Murphy E, James R, Adams M. Facilitating disaster preparedness through local radio broadcasting. Disasters. ;35(4):801- 815.

16. US department of homeland security. (2013). Navigation center. Retrieved from http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtBoaterhttp://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtBoater