Telephones are still a primary source of communication
Communication is more than just talking. In disaster or emergency situations, good communication can be the difference between life and death. The ability to hear instructions, to talk to an authority figure who has a plan or simply to check on someone who may be in the path of danger is vital. It's a good idea to know not only the typical means of communication, but also what might be needed in an emergency.
Telephones
Telephones remain one of the most used communication devices on the planet. Home installed telephones, or "land lines" are still used by a large percentage of homes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 75 percent of all homes had a telephone connected by way of a cord. The ability of Emergency Systems to trace the call back to a home makes this type of device desirable. But, in an emergency, wires phone systems are often damaged, causing an interruption of service.
Cell Phones
Cells phones are giving land lines a run for their money. In the same study, the CDC noted that almost 25 percent of all homes had abandoned land lines and lived only with a cellular phone. Rather than sending a signal over lines, a cell phone takes its signal from a cell tower by means of a specific set of bandwidths. Cell phones can be a good alternative to land lines in the case of an emergency. Although, if one or more cell towers are damaged, service may be spotty or distorted.
Walkie Talkies
Walkie talkies have come a long way from two cans connected by a string. Modern walkie talkies look much like a cell phone. They use cell towers to bounce an individual signal directly to another walkie talkie. They differ from cell phones in that, since all of the walkie talkies are part of am integrated system, there is no need for phone numbers. However, unless you have a model that doubles as a cell phone, you may only communicate with others on the same system. Like cell phones, walkie talkies are susceptible to problems if the cell towers are damaged.
Home Radios
Still used, but less popular, are home radio sets. These include Ham radios, Citizen Band, or CB radios, and Emergency Radio systems. These types of communication devices don't rely on land lines or cell towers. However, in addition to the radio itself, these will need an antenna in order to function appropriately.
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