How to Communicate WITHOUT a Cellphone in a Crisis?

Have you ever reached for your cellphone in a pocket or purse, only to find you left it at home? Or maybe you are home but can’t find your cellphone.

It’s a frustrating feeling. We’ve grown so accustomed to our cellphones that we feel incomplete without them.

If we’re out, we usually manage to get by OK until we get home again. And if we’re home and have misplaced our phone, we usually find it eventually.

But we chide ourselves for not having an item immediately available that would be useful or even crucial.

What you don’t know can hurt you

What if you forget your cellphone at home and a crisis occurs? Or what if you have your cellphone but whatever disaster has occurred has made your phone useless?

Being able to communicate with others and gain information about what’s going on is important even when things are normal.

They will be even more essential if a disaster occurs. You may need to get in touch with someone quickly for your own safety. Or to make sure they are safe.

Or you might need to learn the extent of the emergency. Or where is safe to go and where the problem is worse.

Phone-less but not helpless

There have to be ways to communicate without this device that almost all of us have become dependent upon.

The good news is, there are. Today I’d like to share some of these ways with you. You may never need them, but knowing about them and having some of them with you could help out in a phone-less emergency.

For a couple of these suggestions, you’d need to be home to make them work. For others, you could communicate – or at least gain necessary information – when you’re out. As long as you have these items in your vehicle.

Either way, you’ll know how to communicate without the device that almost all of us reach for first.

Landlines and satellite phones

Many people, especially younger folks, no longer have landlines. But many of us still have them in our homes.

If you have a landline, that’s your first option if a cellphone is not available. Depending on what you have bundled with your landline provider, it could still be working even if the Internet isn’t.

Satellites orbiting the Earth are what make satellite phone technology possible. They are especially convenient when in a remote area.

Satellite phones can be rather pricy, but they can also be lifesavers when it comes to communicating when other methods don’t work. Some countries strictly regulate their usage.

Walkie-talkies and police scanners

Walkie-talkies – also known as two-way radios – are handheld, battery-powered devices that connect with each other.

They work if the two radios are within a certain distance from each other (1-10 miles), and they both must be on the same frequency.

With a police scanner, you won’t be able to broadcast information to anyone else. But you will be able to hear vital information about the unfolding crisis.

You’ll hear what police, rescue squads, first responders and perhaps even the military are communicating about the situation.

CB radios and ham radios

Containing more functionality than walkie-talkies are citizens band (CB) radios. They are good for communications ranging from 25 to 50 miles on a variety of frequencies.

They allow you to communicate information to others. And also to learn what’s going on from those closer to a situation. Truckers and other commercial drivers use them extensively.

Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is similar to CB radio. But it requires that users be licensed American Amateur Radio operators. FEMA uses ham radio to communicate critical information during emergencies.

Information across the airwaves is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. So it’s safe to say in most cases there is more authenticity to ham radio than what you might hear elsewhere.

Create a family emergency plan

There is yet another way to communicate without a cellphone. But it’s something you have to do in advance in order to plan for it.

It’s creating a family emergency plan. One in which every family member knows what to do and where to go in case of a disaster.

If everyone memorizes this plan, you might not even need to communicate with them. You’ll all go where you’re supposed to go and talk in person.

Following are a few components of an emergency plan:

  • Identify safe meeting places. Perhaps one close by and another outside the immediate area, should circumstances dictate that.
  • Plan evacuation routes. These choices should take into consideration that certain roads might be closed.
  • Know the emergency policies of places where family members go to school or work. Some places will have a lockdown policy, while others will recommend seeking shelter elsewhere.
  • Give each family member a list of emergency contacts. This should include phone numbers and addresses.
  • Discuss and practice your emergency plan. Carrying out this plan for real will be more effective if it’s been talked about and rehearsed.

Patriot Power Cell to the rescue

Now, in most cases when you need to communicate with family members or friends in a hurry, you’ll use your cellphone.

But not if it’s dead. And that’s one of the reasons you need a Patriot Power Cell. This pocket-sized power plant can be charged with the free power of the sun or through any normal electrical outlet.

Whether you’re charging a cellphone, tablet, GPS unit or other item, this convenient device is easy to use, water resistant and durable. And it includes a built-in flashlight with an SOS flasher option.

The only downside to this amazing product is that they are very difficult to keep in stock. Fortunately, they are available right now, but you need to act quickly.

See more on this “pocket-sized” solar charger here

Comments

  • Frank - February 20, 2020

    Satellite phone plans are in most cases cost prohibitive just for emergency use. So purchase a “SPOT” emergency sat texting device and keep it charged with a Patriot Power Cell.
    Plans are reasonable and although no voice capability at least you can get a text out saying you’re OK to your loved ones.

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