Auxiliary Radio Working Group

Our radio working group members are dedicated to ensuring the smooth flow of communication in the community, especially during times of a major disaster. They coordinate with our Island County Auxiliary Communication Service (ICACS), a group of ham radio operators involved with emergency communication in Island County. 

Recognizing that everyday communication systems like cell phones, landlines, and the internet might become disabled or crash from too much traffic during large-scale incidents, power outages, or limited transportation scenarios, the team focuses on creating unified, efficient, and robust alternative systems for communication.

Contact us to join this group or request assistance with any and all radio-related issues. A member from ICACS will respond and provide help as required.

Use of Radios in Neighborhood Emergency Response

Radios of various types can be a useful tool to help coordinate a neighborhood’s response to a disaster.  “FRS” radios are inexpensive and allow neighbors to communicate with each other over short ranges.  “GMRS” radios are slightly more expensive but allow communication over longer distances.  And Amateur Radios (i.e., “ham” radios) allow a neighborhood to communicate over very long distances and to, for example, exchange information with the Island County Emergency Operations Centers, communicate with distant neighborhoods, or to send status reports to friends or relatives in other states.

Here's what it looks like when all the pieces are in place:

The booklet Use of Radios in Responding to Neighborhood Emergencies describes how to choose appropriate radios, how to use those radios, and how to integrate a number of radio operators into an efficient “net” that can coordinate radio traffic within a neighborhood as well as communicating with other operators outside the neighborhood.

The Island County Auxiliary Communication Service (ICACS) is a group of ham radio operators involved with emergency communication in our Island County.  The Neighborhood Support group within ICACS stands ready to assist neighborhoods with all issues related to radio use.  This can include assistance in selecting appropriate radios, programming those radios. “mapping” a neighborhood to determine how best to ensure all neighbors can communicate with each other, etc. 

  • These recommendations are based on the radio team’s research.

  • Low powered Family Radio Service

    • Inexpensive hand-held “walkie-talkies”

    • 22 channels

    • Requires no license

    • Easy to use

    • Allows neighbors to keep in touch with each other over moderate distances (~a couple miles depending on terrain)

    You can of course purchase whatever you want. For consistency with other neighborhoods so we can provide mutual aid learning these tools, we recommend the Motorola T470

  • Higher powered General Mobile Radio Service

    • Allow communication over longer distances

    • Good for communications between neighborhoods

    • Same 22 channels as FRS

    • Allows use of external antennas

    • Allows use of “repeaters”

    • License required (no test; $35 fee; apply on-line)

    You may of course purchase whatever you like. For consistency with other neighborhoods so we can support each other’s learning curve we recommend a Btech GMRS-2 handheld model.

  • Amateur radios (e.g., “Ham” radios)

    • Communication over very long distances - to the County Emergency Operations Center, out of area, relay “I’m ok” messages for families

    • Hand held and mobile configurations availalbe

    • FCC license required (2-day class, on-line study sites)

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