Emergency Broadcasts and Public Safety Frequencies

Marjory Wildcraft
Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

Hi everyone,

I've just recently learned that Apple will be turning off your ability to get an Emergency Broadcast System alerts. They will be turned off or deleted from your phone. This is likely to happen tonight. To prevent this, immediately go to Settings, and look under General for Software Updates. Then turn off your Automatic Downloads. If you have an Android, Google is likely to follow suit.

Communications are vitally important and the purpose of the Emergency Broadcast System.

One of the biggest lessons for me while living through the fires in Texas in 2011 and 2012, was the importance of communications. The amount of hysteria and mis communication - by citizens and authorities was part of the panic everyone was feeling. But getting information of any kind was important and somewhat soothing - even if it turned out to be incorrect later. There is no worse feeling than not knowing anything.

I happened to be in my towns little drug store and saw they had emergency radios for sale. Yup, I picked one up. You never know...

And for those of you with a technical bent:

Public Safety Frequencies | Public Safety Radio Bands USA

PLEASE you Canadians and Irish and Australians! Put your frequencies in the comments down below.

Public Safety Frequencies 25 to 50MHz 150 to 162MHz 173.2 to 173.4MHz 220 to 222MHz 450 to 470MHz 470 to 512MHz 764 to 776MHz 794 to 806 MHz 806 to 821 MHz 821 to 824 MHz 851 to 866 MHz 866 to 869 MHz


Narrowband and Broadband Public Safety Frequencies (these are more specific?)

Following table-1 mentions narrowband and broadband Public Safety Frequencies. The bands are used in IMT standard. It delivers data rate of 384Kbps. It supports range from of 503m or 1523m.



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Comments

  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Marjory Wildcraft an untimely message thank you so much. I'm advising my family now.

    Stay safe..

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Why would they do this?

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There are rumors that the Insurrection Act has been activated and that President Trump may be trying to reach us that way.

  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @judsoncarroll4 @shllnzl yes, and that is prolly why he is under guard (for his safety), at a military post/base..

    stay safe everyone.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited January 2021

    That was my question...and in other countries too?

    We just recently had alerts set up up here, and a test was done within the last few weeks. It just seems odd to me.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    @silvertipgrizz and @shllnzl I think that is just a rumor. I mean... I used to work with for US Senators and Congressmen.... trust me, they cannot keep their mouth's shut... if something like that was going on, they would be fighting each other to get to the TV cameras... whether to let us know or get 5 minutes more of fame. I think something stranger (er) is going on....

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I don't have the type of phone that receives alerts (not hooked up to wifi) so I am not familiar with how it all works. But this is what I have found out for Canadian Emergency Alerts.

    "In Canada, all wireless service providers must participate in the National Public Alerting System. However, the CRTC does not regulate the companies that make mobile devices.

    Key findings

    Not all phones react the same way

    Our tests found that not all wireless devices react the same way to public alerts.

    Depending on your device, you may be able to choose how your phone alerts you. For example, some devices can be set to vibrate or remain completely silent, or play the alert sound at a lower volume. However, the ability to silence or control the volume of an alert depends on the make, model and operating system of the device.

    Not all phones meet Canadian alerting standards

    Devices that are purchased outside of Canada or directly from the manufacturer may not meet Canadian alerting standards and guidelines.

    • If you need help verifying the notification settings for public alerts on your device, please contact your service provider or the company that made your mobile device.

    Read the full report on testing response of mobile phones to wireless public alerts"


    I couldn't copy and paste the frequencies for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service during a declared emergency but here is the link to the page that has them all listed. https://www.rac.ca/national-hf-emergency-communications-frequencies/

    This is a link to Alert Ready - Emergency Alert System. I think you must be registered with this organization to receive alert messages. https://www.alertready.ca/

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Hi @LaurieLovesLearning it is very strange. But this year,more so than the last, will be very strange.

  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @judsoncarroll4 what kind of herbal stuff do you do on you tube? one could always use another subber and I"m always looking for herbal everything..

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Hi @silvertipgrizz yes, I love that "hope for the best, prepare for the worst". I don't trust any of the politicians, news media, or almost anything except my plants and animals at this point... Well good friends and family. Let's keep this discussion away form policitcs, but for sure things are happening and fast, and an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    It is just my podcast - I've appealed their decision 3 times now... hope for the best.


  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited January 2021

    @torey Your information is correct as I understand it.

    Many people up here still have no access to any source of emergency system.

    @Marjory Wildcraft I agree. This year will be no better, for whatever the reasons will be.

    Do you mind citing the source for what you stated initially? Sources are always important.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Well, this is interesting.

    The US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) made an announcment on January 8th about the requirement for broadcasters to comply with Emergency Broadcast System requirements. All of the mobile phones use spectrum that is owned by the American people and the FCC is the organization that is mandated to manage the spectrum.

    This is no coincidence.


  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    This is terrifying. Although for the preparing part now is the time to order seeds before the mad dash in spring this year!

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    thank you for reminding me! yikes, i need to get an order in.... @Cornelius

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 989 ✭✭✭✭

    I have heard of this. Man that's creepy. Thanks for the reminder

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited January 2021

    I'm still sitting here wondering if I am missing something that everyone else in the conversation knows but me. 🤷‍♀️

    I think we should be aware of what is going on, not believe everything we see, hear or read, question but be careful to not jump to conclusions, take care of our little part of the world and prepare for the future as we can. We need to think calmly and not let panic rule as it leads to unwise decisions & actions. This is what I keep on saying.

    But, as far as this discussion goes, I am lost.

    I understand that the emergency broadcast system has been beneficial in alerting people to possible danger. Is the concern here a political one with the possibility of it being used for political gain in light of the current political turmoil in the US?

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @judsoncarroll4 Interesting illustration.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
    edited January 2021

    Okay... so things are REALLY strained here in the US.... near a breaking point after the storming of the US Capitol last week. Now, I say, don't freak out. This has all happened before. I mean, we had Puerto Rican separatists trying to bomb the place and shoot it up when I was a kid! But, there is a backlash. Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, etc are trying to censor and ban one half of American voters... like 80 million people.... and meanwhile, China is cracking down on Hong Kong and Taiwan... and apparently things are getting hot in the Middle East, too. So, it seems to be credible info that Apple, etc is suspending the Emergency Broadcast System - this is what alerts us to everything form a hurricane to a kidnapping and yes, even a war if that were the case. It could be extremely bad timing. It could be politically motivated. But, a lot of folks are freaking out. We all just need to take a breath, stay calm and take things as they come. It will be okay... this is a big country, with tons of business interest... things will stay stable enough for the system to keep running smoothly... for better, or worse.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited January 2021

    @judsoncarroll4 Then I think that I do understand. I was aware of rising tensions in many of these places with respect to the US trouble. I just wanted to be sure how this was all fitting before commenting further.

    It is understandable that losing the emergency system could be of great concern in such situations, but it is not something that should be our focus on this forum...to be adding to the panic. Instead, we should be encouraging preparation of food and learning skills in a calm manner. Everyone needs a safe space to go whatever is going on & not lose sight of that. Fear & panic helps nobody. Thank you for encouraging that within this thread, @judsoncarroll4.

    In light of this, and with respect to @Marjory Wildcraft wanting everyone to be aware, I will be watching this thread for further excitability and related types of posts. My inclination already at this point is to close this thread because this is extremely political & volatile subject matter. Anything political and this involved (and "happily" intensified by media) can quickly escalate and cause irreversible damage to a site & forum, not to mention individuals.

    This is one reason the Covid area was closed down and why politics are not a good idea to discuss on a forum unless that is its purpose. It was known that everything was going to quickly escalate soon with both virus related stuff and intensified US political turmoil, so the protection of members here was a priority.

    Considering @Marjory Wildcraft, I highly recommend closing this discussion down as soon as possible.

    Thank you for considering.

  • stephanie447
    stephanie447 Posts: 404 ✭✭✭

    Wait...what? They restricted your YouTube account discussing herbs?

    On the one hand I shouldn't be surprised and yet I am not surprised. YouTube has been censoring alternative medical information, specifically with covid, but also you have to be careful what you say about vaccines. I just started a channel there, not because I love YouTube, but I need to market myself so I can get clients. I made the decision to simultaneously mirror everything over at Rumble, and to keep my YouTube content on the lighter side. If I have more important stuff to say it will not be on YouTube.

    I'm so fed up with the censorship and these big companies with no accountability, companies we didn't vote for, that we have no representation at, choosing what we can say and not say in our online public square. And it's getting worse. But I'm getting off topic now...apologies!

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    I feel the same about youtube, but Spreaker (which hosts my podcast) has an auto-feed to it. I didn't figure anyone would want to stare at a black screen while listening to me, but a few people actually do. I have a feeling a whole new generation of social media is about to really take off. I sure will miss all the free music on youtube though - rare stuff! Radio is dead and there are no music stores anymore, so it has been the only way anyone could hear old jazz, country, etc.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
    edited January 2021

    Oops, deleted my comment... trying again! I defer to you @LaurieLovesLearning - follow your gut. We are a level headed group, and I'm not worried about it. But, we have to put the security of the forum first. Oh, but this just occurred to me. If anything really bad were to happen and folks were not getting emergency alerts on their phones automatically, maybe we should post an announcement here in the forums. Its unlikely, but an earthquake or something could hit any moment and if Apple is actually blocking alerts, that wouldn't be good. Not sure how that would work, but it is something to think about.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    @judsoncarroll4 yes, this is a time to stay calm. @LaurieLovesLearning this has been building for a long time. I've been busy writing the book and regretting not being here in the forums with you and the gang.

    The US is at a breaking point and the coming days will be turbulent to say the least. If you don't understand - be glad! It's a terrible mess. I've been watching news outlets from the far right to the far left and everything in between. And like in any good crisis, it is difficult to tell who is doing what and why. I don't want to bring up all the underlying forces that are colliding because that will not serve this community. But big colliding forces are happening and making major moves.

    I posted this information on frequencies that are used for safety and emergency communications. Communications are very important during turbulent times - and as I mentioned above, even if the information is incorrect - getting any information is much better than getting nothing.

    This is a truly historic time. Normally I have emergency broadcasts turned off as I don't want to be bothered. But now, I want to know what is being put out there.

    We all are built for this. This community especailly is resilient. And if you lived through the 70's (now that was a turbulent decade!) you know humanity gets through.

This discussion has been closed.