PACE Planning for Emergency Communications: Your Essential Guide to Staying Connected When Disaster Strikes
Reliable communication is the lifeline of safety during any emergency, but it's often the first thing to fail when needed most. Whether you're navigating an urban disaster like an earthquake or hurricane, or heading out into the remote wilderness, an open line with your loved ones is essential for staying safe.
Learn to develop a robust, four-tiered communication strategy using the PACE plan—a concept originally developed by the military and now adopted by various groups. PACE stands for:
- Primary
- Alternate
- Contingency
- Emergency
This book provides the base knowledge to help you develop a solid, concise, and confusion-eliminating plan for any situation. The key advantage of PACE plans is a clear progression through the four tiers; the failure of one tier automatically activates the next.
In this essential guide, you will learn to:
- Develop a customized communications PACE plan that addresses both urban and wilderness scenarios.
- Evaluate and select the best equipment options for each tier, from smartphones and amateur radio (Ham Radio) to satellite devices (like inReach, SPOT, or ZOLEO), whistles, and flares.
- Understand the limitations and features of different communication methods, including landlines, license-free radio (FRS, GMRS), Personal Locator Beacons (PLB), and mesh networking.
- Design effective procedures and triggers for each tier, ensuring your family knows the next steps when communication breaks down.
- Learn how to maintain and power your gear using battery banks and portable power stations that can be charged with solar power.
- Use the author's personal Urban and Wilderness PACE Plans as a guide for writing your own.
Take the guesswork out of emergency preparedness. Developing a PACE plan is a straightforward way to ensure you can call for help and keep in touch with those you love, even when the world around you is falling apart.
Authored by Michael Major, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and an experienced outdoorsman.
