Emergency Personnel Radio Etiquette

During an emergency, commercial communication methods often fail or become overloaded, forcing emergency responders and officials to rely on alternative communication methods. Radios--electronic systems that receive and transmit information through electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere--provide compact, efficient and reliable communication alternatives. Radio operators should know and use correct emergency radio etiquette to ensure an appropriate, adequate and timely response to the emergency.

Radio Operators

• Many responders with the police, fire, paramedic, public works and highway patrol use radios within their departments on a daily basis. During emergencies, these radio operators must also communicate with other local departments and units from assisting jurisdictions, as well as with Incident Command posts, local and state Emergency Operation Centers, airports, hospitals, mass transportation vehicles, Mass Evacuation Reception Centers, shelters and mass feeding operations. Because of the large amount of traffic involved during emergencies, emergency managers supplement regular radio operators and dispatchers with additional employees and volunteers trained in emergency communications.

Radio Frequencies

• Radios receive and transmit on specific frequencies--or the number of times a radio wave moves up and down in a set time period--measured in Hertz, or its multiple, Megahertz. Most city and county departments use radios operating between 700 to 899 Megahertz. Other frequencies often used during emergencies include 14 to 14.350 Megahertz, 144 to 148 Megahertz and 420 to 450 Megahertz.

Plain Language and Clear Enunciation

• Various fire or police departments may use the same codes to refer to different things. Because multiple departments may respond to a large emergency, radio operators should use plain language at all times. This will enable all the units involved with the emergency response to understand each other and respond in a timely manner or with the correct equipment. Also, many letters and words often sound similar over the radio. To avoid confusion and misunderstandings, radio operators should spell out names and unclear words using a phonetic alphabet. The National Interagency Fire Center recommends that radio operators use the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Message Conciseness

• During an emergency, radio operators should limit their message to only that information needed for an appropriate response. They should avoid including personal, speculative and off-topic comments in emergency messages and should never swear on the air.

Privacy Issues

• Because radio frequencies can be overheard by anyone with a scanner, radio operators must avoid sending personal or private information over the air, such as the names of fatalities, individual medical histories or lists of shelter residents. They should use alternative means of reporting private information, including fax machines and email in locations with electrical power and packet relay in locations using generator or battery power.

After Action Reports

• Communications play a vital role in any emergency response, and often receive much criticism following the emergency. Radio operators should avoid taking this criticism personally and should balance the comments with their personal knowledge of communications' abilities and limitations. In their after action reports, radio operators should first list "what worked" during the emergency, then mention "things to improve," along with appropriate methods to improve those items. While recognizing communication failures, radio operators should strive for a positive, constructive approach to improving communications for the next emergency.