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CSRA Emergency Communications - A Start
CSRA Emergency Communications - A Start
The return of the Hurricane Season reminds me of why we started the CSRA Mesh. In late September 2024 Hurricane Hellene hit Florida and started north. It was slated to hit Atlanta but at the last minute the CSRA became the target instead and we took a direct hit. Sustained winds of over 100mph cut a swath through the area like a scythe with something like 60% of the trees in the CSRA wiped out. Hundreds of homes were completely destroyed, thousands were majorly damaged. Most of the folks I know were without power and cell service for at least 3 days. Some were lucky and had one or the other. Others, like myself, were without stable cell service for 7+ days and without electricity for weeks. Our only real way to get information for days after the storm was via FM and Amateur radio. I had already been playing with Meshtastic since I am interested in gadgets and communication, but after Hellene I saw the potential to use Meshtastic as a tool instead of just a toy. I had already found an active Mesh in North Georgia (Mountain Mesh) and decided to mimic the great community they had started in the CSRA. We now have roughly 70+ active nodes in the area with more being added every week.
But to turn Meshtastic into a tool we need more than just nodes connecting across the CSRA. Meshtastic is a messaging platform designed for resiliency. When a disaster hits we will need to have formalized our response so that we can mitigate the damage to the mesh. We may not have everything someone needs in a disaster, but we can try to ensure that their message and needs can be heard. One of the scariest parts of a total communication blackout, like we had during Hellene is not being able to reach loved ones and friends. To me, that is the role that Meshtastic can fill, IF we are prepared. How do we ensure that the mesh can be rebuilt quickly after infrastructure has been destroyed? What do we need to have on hand to be able to share with others who might not have a node but we need to be able to reach over the mesh? What settings and devices do we need to be able to program a node to connect to the mesh. (Remember, we couldn't reach the internet for days).
Over the next weeks and months we will explore this together as we work as a community to be able to assist and be better prepared for the next time the CSRA experiences such an event. This page is dedicated to providing the information and documentation of our journey through this together.
Resources
Resources
Here you will find links and information related to Emergency Communications. These may or may not be specific to Meshtastic, but a good EMCOMM Plan does not rely on a single platform because that becomes a single point of failure. We want resiliency and availability, hopefully these resources will help you find both.
Channel 3 Project - AmRRON
A simplified way to standardize communication using non-licensed radios (FRS, GMRS, CB) in the event of an emergency. Designed to provide where, when, and how to find other people on the radio while conserving battery life.
Wilderness Protocol
A way for Amateur Radio hikers and campers to be available for Emergency calls by monitoring specified simplex frequencies at specific times.
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