Emergency Communication Preparedness

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been revisiting my preparation for emergency situations. Emergencies are numerous – catastrophic events, medical emergencies, travel emergencies (air & transportation) and outdoor activities (hiking, mountain biking & inland and marine excursions).

One thing in common to all of the above emergency situations is the necessity to communicate (inbound & outbound). In a previous article, I talked about satellite communication and how I intend to use the device.

Recently, I upgraded my satellite communicator to the Garmin Montana 700i as an early Father’s Day gift. The satellite communicator was on sale so I couldn’t pass it up!  The new device combines satellite communication & GPS navigation further lightening the load in my travel bag. The GPS navigation is all inclusive to include traditional navigation & turn-by-turn navigation for vehicles (auto, motorcycle, trail riding, etc.). In addition, it can be utilized for fun family activities including – trail navigation & geocaching.

The Garmin Montana 700i will be my personal satellite communicator and the Delorme inReach SE will be my secondary device. The secondary satellite communicator will be used as a loaner device to family members to be used when traditional communication methods (internet & cellular) are unavailable.  Let’s face it – it’s only a matter of time before the next hurricane here in Florida.  I will lend the secondary device to my father who lives in the country.  The satellite communicators will be the way we can correspond to ensure we are okay.  I will also lend the device to my son, Jared, when he ventures into areas with spotty reception.  He can use it as a way to text that he is okay, text AAA for roadside assistance and use the SOS feature for other emergencies.

The same communication needs can be served with the loaner satellite communicator when no internet & cellular service is available (SOS, auto breakdowns, medical emergencies & time sensitive communication).

As for all adventures & journeys – be vigilant.  I am a believer in “handling” situations that can be managed yourself but in all other cases, having a means to get help is crucial.

On cdelatorre.fun I’ve added MapShare pages for each device. MapShare allows individuals to see lat/long location posts (bread crumbs) of device, request current location & message the user. Below are the MapShare pages.

• Carlos’ Journeys & Adventures (share.garmin.com/ME9Y9)
• de la Torre Family Journey & Adventures (share.garmin.com/NCFTE)

Please use the messaging services in emergencies only.  There is a monthly allotment of messages (inbound & out) and location requests.  Thus the MapShare pages are password protected and will be given out when necessary.  These devices shouldn’t be for standard texting with users when out of internet & cellular range.

Happy travels!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been revisiting my preparation for emergency situations. Emergencies are numerous – catastrophic events, medical emergencies, travel emergencies (air & transportation) and outdoor activities (hiking, mountain biking & inland and marine excursions). One thing in common to all of the above emergency situations is the necessity to communicate (inbound &…