RADIOMETEO · RADIO AND EMERGENCIES
What if the network goes down? Radio and emergencies
How emergency radio communications work in Italy, the IARU frequencies, a ready-to-go station and how to pass a message. In practice, with diagrams and drawings.
1981ARI joins civil protection
5IARU HF emergency frequencies
±20 kHzaround each frequency
When radio really matters
Without power, mobile network and internet.
- Earthquakes and floods
- When mobile masts lose power or are damaged, radio links still allow communication.
- Self-reliance
- Battery, solar panel and portable antenna: the station works even far from everything.
- Why radio still matters
- We explain it in the articles What’s the point of amateur radio today and Who are amateur radio operators.
How it works in Italy
Volunteer radio amateurs in the civil protection system.
- Since 1981
- ARI has been part of the national civil protection system and its volunteers built the alternative emergency radio network at the Prefectures.
- Regular drills
- Prefectures and volunteers regularly test the links between the coordination centre and the operations centres, to find and fix faults before an emergency.
- Local agreements
- Many local branches have agreements with provinces, prefectures and towns to maintain radio stations and activate them when needed.
- How to join
- Contact your local ARI branch or a civil protection volunteer association: you need an amateur licence and a willingness to practise.
Emergency frequencies
The centres of activity in the IARU Region 1 band plan.
- If you hear emergency traffic
- Listen, do not transmit over it and keep the frequency clear. Step in only if you can really help.
- VHF and UHF
- There are no frequencies common to all of Region 1. Some countries use 145.500 MHz and 433.500 MHz FM and 144.800 MHz APRS for first contact.
- QO-100 satellite
- The band plan of the geostationary QO-100 satellite includes an international emergency calling frequency.
- Full band plan
- All bands and modes in the band plan.
A ready-to-go station
Everything in one case, checked beforehand.
- Power
- The battery is the weak point: keep it charged and check how many hours it lasts with your radio.
- Antenna
- A wire dipole or a portable vertical go up in minutes. Lengths in Antennas and measurements.
- Practise portable
- POTA and SOTA activations are ideal training: field station, battery and a quick antenna.
How to pass a message
Order, clarity, no improvisation.
- Write first, transmit after
- Write the message on the form and read it as it is: fewer words, fewer mistakes.
- UTC time
- On the radio we use UTC: you will find it in UTC time.
- Phonetic alphabet
- Spell place and person names with the international phonetic alphabet.
Practise and learn more
Drills, official sources and related pages.
- IARU Region 1: emergency frequencies ↗
- The source of the frequencies on this page.
- IARU Region 1: exercises ↗
- International emergency communication tests and exercises.
- ARI · Italian Radio Amateurs Association ↗
- To find your local branch.
- First steps
- Station, antenna and first QSO.
- Band conditions
- Which bands are open now.
- Ham radio weather
- Weather alerts, lightning and wind.