During emergencies, reliable communication can quickly become one of the most important resources available to responders and communities.
Severe weather, flooding, extended power failures, damaged infrastructure and major incidents can disrupt normal telecommunications or cause cellular networks to become congested. In these circumstances, alternative communications systems can help maintain the flow of essential information.
REACT Team 6006 maintains and develops communications capabilities intended to support our members, partner organizations and communities when additional communications resources are required.
Our approach is based on a simple principle: communications systems used during emergencies should be reliable, understandable, maintainable and capable of operating with as little supporting infrastructure as practical.
Radio Communications
Two-way radio remains at the heart of our emergency communications capability.
Unlike cellular phones and Internet-based services, conventional radio systems can provide direct communication between stations without depending on commercial telecommunications infrastructure. Repeaters can further extend coverage across larger areas when available.
Our communications activities include the use and development of skills involving VHF and UHF radio communications, portable and mobile radio equipment, repeater systems, antennas and field communications procedures.
Depending on the requirements of an incident, radio operators can assist with communications between locations such as shelters, coordination points, field teams and other participating organizations.
Effective emergency communications, however, requires more than simply owning radios. Operators must understand correct radio procedure, equipment limitations, coverage, interference, power requirements and how to communicate information accurately under difficult conditions.
For this reason, training and practical exercises form an important part of our preparedness.
Portable and Field Communications
An emergency communications system should not assume that mains electricity, Internet access or permanent infrastructure will always be available.
Team 6006 therefore has an interest in communications capabilities that can be deployed into the field and operated independently.
This includes portable radios, temporary antennas, mobile stations, independent power sources and equipment capable of supporting communications from temporary operating locations.
Such capabilities may be useful during flooding, community emergencies, search activities, public events or situations where communications must be established away from normal facilities.
Amateur Radio
Amateur radio provides another valuable area of knowledge for emergency communications.
Licensed amateur radio operators have access to a wide range of frequencies, equipment and operating techniques. Amateur radio can support local, regional and potentially international communication using technologies ranging from conventional voice radio to digital communications.
Team 6006 encourages the development of radio knowledge among members and recognizes the value that experienced amateur radio operators can bring to emergency communications planning and training.
Amateur radio does not replace normal emergency services or commercial telecommunications. Instead, it can provide another communications option when circumstances require additional flexibility or redundancy.
Exploring Digital and Resilient Communications
Radio technology continues to evolve, and Team 6006 is also investigating technologies that may complement traditional voice communications.
These technologies are currently areas of experimentation and evaluation rather than replacements for proven radio systems.
LoRa
LoRa (Long Range) is a low-power radio technology designed to transmit relatively small amounts of data over considerable distances.
Its low bandwidth makes it unsuitable for applications such as normal voice communications or high-speed Internet access, but those limitations can become advantages when transmitting small pieces of important information.
Potential emergency communications applications include:
- GPS position and team tracking
- short text messages
- equipment telemetry
- environmental sensors
- infrastructure monitoring
- automated status reports
LoRa equipment can also consume relatively little power, making it interesting for battery and solar-powered field installations.
Meshtastic
Meshtastic is an open-source communications platform that uses LoRa radios to create decentralized mesh networks.
Compatible devices can relay messages between nodes, potentially extending communications beyond the range of a single radio link.
For emergency communications, systems of this type are interesting because relatively inexpensive and portable nodes could potentially provide text messaging, position reporting and basic data exchange without cellular service.
There are important limitations, however. Terrain, node placement, radio congestion, available spectrum and network design all affect performance.
For that reason, Team 6006 is interested in practical experimentation rather than assuming that mesh technology automatically provides reliable emergency coverage.
Reticulum
Reticulum is another technology being investigated for resilient digital communications.
Rather than being tied to one particular radio technology, Reticulum provides a networking system capable of carrying information across different communications media.
A Reticulum network can potentially use combinations of LoRa radios, packet radio, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and other transports.
This creates some interesting possibilities for emergency communications.
A message might, for example, travel across a local radio link before being carried through another available communications network. Systems can therefore potentially be constructed from whatever communications infrastructure remains available.
This concept is particularly interesting for disaster-resilient networks because it allows multiple communications technologies to work as parts of a larger system instead of requiring one technology to solve every problem.
APRS and Position Reporting
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) and related packet-radio technologies are another area relevant to emergency communications.
APRS can transmit information such as station positions, short messages, weather information and telemetry over amateur radio networks.
Position reporting can be especially useful when coordinating mobile or field teams because a communications station may be able to maintain a clearer picture of where participating units are operating.
Similar capabilities are also being explored through newer LoRa-based technologies.
Software Defined Radio
Software Defined Radio (SDR) is another useful tool for developing communications knowledge.
SDR receivers allow large portions of the radio spectrum to be monitored and analyzed using computer software.
For training and technical investigation, SDR can help members understand signals, interference, propagation and spectrum usage. It can also provide useful monitoring capabilities when diagnosing communications problems.
SDR is therefore primarily a technical and monitoring capability rather than a substitute for our conventional communications equipment.
Building Layers, Not Depending on One System
No single communications technology is suitable for every emergency.
Cellular networks provide extraordinary capability while functioning normally. Internet services provide enormous amounts of information and connectivity. Conventional radio provides simple and dependable local voice communication. Amateur radio provides considerable flexibility. Digital radio and LoRa systems can provide lightweight data communications.
The strongest communications plan therefore does not attempt to choose one technology and declare it the winner.
Instead, it creates layers of communication.
A practical system might include conventional VHF/UHF voice radio as the primary field communications method, repeaters for wider-area coverage, direct simplex communications when repeaters are unavailable, portable power and antennas for field deployment, and digital technologies for supplementary messaging, tracking and data.
Emerging technologies such as LoRa, Meshtastic and Reticulum can then be tested and incorporated where they provide genuine operational benefits.
Technology Must Survive the Real World
Team 6006's interest in new technology does not mean that every new communications technology belongs in an emergency deployment.
Any system intended for operational use must ultimately answer some very ordinary questions:
Does it work when the power is out?
Does it work without the Internet?
Can our members operate it under pressure?
Can we repair or replace it?
Can we power it for an extended period?
Does it provide useful coverage in Trinidad and Tobago's terrain?
Can it interoperate with the people we actually need to communicate with?
And, most importantly, does it solve a real problem?
Technology that cannot answer those questions may still be useful for experimentation and training, but it should not automatically be considered an emergency communications capability.
Prepared Today. Developing for Tomorrow.
REACT Team 6006 continues to develop the knowledge, equipment and procedures necessary to provide dependable communications support.
Traditional radio communications remain fundamental because they are proven, relatively simple and capable of operating independently of much of the infrastructure modern society normally relies upon.
At the same time, we believe responsible experimentation is important.
By investigating technologies such as LoRa, Meshtastic, Reticulum, APRS, software-defined radio and other resilient communications systems, we can determine which technologies genuinely improve our capabilities and which are better left in the laboratory.
Our objective is not to have the most complicated communications system.
Our objective is to have communications that work when they are needed.