ROLE OF THE CITIZENS BAND RADIO SERVICE AND TRAVELERS INFORMATON STATIONS IN CIVIL PREPAREDNESS EMERGENCIES FINAL REPORT, MAY 15, 1978

• NCJ Number: 47617
• Author(s): M ROSENTHAL
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 397 pages
• Contract Number(s): DCPA01-76-C-0330
• Corporate Author: System Development Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A PROJECT ASSESSING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE CITIZENS BAND (CB) RADIO SERVICE AND OF TRAVELERS INFORMATION STATIONS (TIS) TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS FOR CIVIL PREPAREDNESS OPERATIONS IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

CB RADIO USES LOW-COST, LOW-POWER TRANSCEIVERS TO PROVIDE DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS AMONG PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT GENERALLY LACK OTHER ACCESS TO TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. ITS ARE LOW-POWERED STATIONS DESIGNED TO BROADCAST INFORMATION TO THE OCCUPANTS OF MOTOR VEHICLES THROUGH CONVENTIONAL RADIO RECEIVERS. THE PROJECT FIRST DETERMINED THE RANGE OF USES CURRENTLY MADE OF CB (AND OTHER SERVICES OF THE PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES) AND TIS. DETERMINING CURRENT USES OF CB INVOLVED SURVEYING STATE AND LOCAL CIVIL PREPAREDNESS AGENCIES, STATE POLICE AND HIGHWAY PATROL AGENCIES, AND VOLUNTEER CB ORGANIZATIONS. FORMAL AND INFORMAL CB ORGANIZATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THEIR UTILITY IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS EVALUATED. AMONG THE FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS EVALUATED ARE RADIO EMERGENCY ASSOCIATED CITIZENS TEAM INTERNATIONAL (REACT) AND THE AFFILIATED LEAGUE OF EMERGENCY RADIO TEAMS (ALERT) SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS BAND OPERATORS ASSOCIATION, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE ORGANIZED TEAMS WHO MONITOR THE CB EMERGENCY CHANNEL AND PROVIDE A VARIETY OF OTHER ROUTINE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE ROLE OF THE DEFENSE CIVIL PREPAREDNESS AGENCY (DCPA) IN PROVIDING GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION IN THE USE OF CB AND TIS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IS EVALUATED. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ASPECTS OF CB ARE ALSO ASSESSED, SUCH AS: (1) USES MADE OF CB BY TRUCKSTOPS; (2) APPLICATIONS OF CB BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SKYWARN PROGRAM (WHICH USES VOLUNTEER SPOTTERS TO WARN OF TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS, FLOODS, AND OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER (CONDITION); (3) THE IMPACT OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL EMERGENCY ACTION RADIO (NEAR) PROGRAM ON EMERGENCY OPERATIONS; AND (4) APPROPRIATE FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CB AND AMATEUR RADIO INCLUDING THE RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICES (RACES) IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT, DESPITE TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS, CB OPERATORS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT AR VALUABLE RESOURCES IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND DCPA SHOULD DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO STIMULATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, TIS SYSTEMS ARE ALSO DETERMINED TO BE USEFUL IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT, DESPITE TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS, CB OPERATORS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND DCPA SHOULD DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO STIMULATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. TIS SYSTEMS ARE ALSO DETERMINED TO BE USEFUL IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. SPECIFIC CB AND TIS PROGRAMS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR DCPA ADOPTION. APPENDIXES INCLUDE DRAFT CIVIL PREPAREDNESS CIRCULARS FOR CB AND TIS, A DISCUSSION OF THE IMPACT OF RECENT FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULATIONS CHANGES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RACES, A SUMMARY OF CB CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE TO STATE POLICE AND HIGHWAY PATROL AGENCIES, A PARTIAL INVENTORY OF TIS, THE QUESTIONNAIRES USED IN THE STUDY OF THE CB RADIO SERVICE, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--VDA)