Why communicating is so important

Communication is oh so important, but is so often overlooked. If an unforeseen situation arises, you are always safer in a (small) group than alone.

The emergency services can only help you if you can provide your location. Family and friends worry much less if they know you are safe. Moreover, it is much easier for well-connected groups to get through a crisis situation.

The power of cooperation

Alone is just alone

Even the best-prepared survivalist cannot do everything alone. You cannot be everywhere at once, know everything and do everything. Groups share knowledge, divide tasks and can share their resources with each other.

An example: In 1998, North America experienced a massive ice storm. The northern part of the US and parts of Canada experienced enormous damage to the electricity grid, to trees and snowed-in roads. In total, 56 people died as a result of the severe weather and 4 million power cuts were recorded. A major crisis situation, but several neighbourhoods in the Canadian city of Quebec demonstrated the power of social connections:

The psychology behind group communication

People under stress make better decisions when they are part of a group that supports each other. In organised groups that communicate with each other in a clear way, panic spreads much less quickly. Moreover, groups also provide each other with emotional stability in times of need.

Why you should always keep communicating:

• Better decision-making through shared information
• Less panic
• Efficient distribution of tasks and resources
• Faster dissemination of warnings and advice

Who do you communicate with?

Which people do you want to be able to reach at all times? First and foremost, you probably think of your family, close relatives and good friends.

The neighbourhood

Start with your immediate neighbours. Organise informal gatherings with people you trust, share contact details with each other and discuss the possible risks in your area. After all, each region has specific challenges:

• Flood risk
• Forest fires
• Extreme winter cold
• Heavy rainfall
• …

If you ask, many people are willing to help, but they often wait for someone else to take the initiative. Be that other person and build a strong network.

The first steps

• Deel contactgegevens met elkaar
  • Also agree with each other how you communicate if conventional means such as WhatsApp and the like fail
• Make a list of useful skills of neighbours: electrician, nurse, fire brigade, carpenter,…
• Make a list of vulnerable neighbours who need extra help
• Determine assembly points and make arrangements for different scenarios

This way you can mobilise the whole neighbourhood in an emergency and act quickly when needed. The saying ‘better a good neighbour than a distant friend’ should be taken literally!

Your family

Agree with your family what to do if an emergency arises. Make sure you can always reach each other and agree on a location for when communication devices no longer work.

Explain to your children what they need to do, without frightening them. Children remember concrete instructions better than abstract concepts:

• “Walk to the big red postbox and wait there” works better than “go to a safe place”
• “Call grandma when the phone works again” is clearer than “contact family”
• “Gather at the library if the school closes” gives a concrete direction

How do you communicate best?

With your family, neighbours and relatives you can usually just communicate via WhatsApp. But sometimes there are disruptions that make this impossible. That’s why you should also provide alternative means of communication.

• I previously wrote this article about alternative means of communication

Walkie-talkies and radio connections

With your neighbours you can easily switch to walkie-talkies – or even a simple baby monitor – if conventional communication fails. Then you mustn’t forget to charge them either! For greater distances you can invest in amateur radio networks.

Advantages of radio connections:

• Work independently of the electricity grid – although some form of power is needed for transmission installations
• Reach great distances via atmospheric reflection
• Easy to operate after brief training
• Relatively inexpensive to purchase
• No subscription costs or provider required

Buying an emergency radio? This radio is according to experts the very best.

Emergency services:

In the event of internet and television failure, there remain ways to access essential information. Both in Belgium and in the Netherlands there are several recognised broadcasters that are deployed in emergencies to disseminate information. You can read more about this in this article.

Back to basics

In addition to telecommunications, it is also useful to agree on some signals with each other. Communicating in an emergency does not have to be difficult at all:

• Use whistles or horns to locate each other
• Hang arrangements and messages on a local noticeboard

Limit communication to essential information. Too many messages overload systems and distract from important warnings. Set priorities: life-threatening situations first, then logistical updates, and only then personal messages.