Emergency Use of CB Radios

CB Radios have many advantages. They help you keep informed of traffic conditions or rest stops along your route. They allow you to communicate with other CB enthusiasts from across the country. And, they provide an opportunity to listen to long-distance communications from several hundred or thousand miles away. Yet, the most important advantage of a CB Radio is to report emergencies.

CB Versus Cell Phone

Yes, cell phones do have an option to contact 9-1-1 when the nearby signal is weak or non-existent. However, this is a single point-to-point contact. So, if the emergency is related to an injury that requires immediate attention, then this may not be the best source of help.

A CB doesn’t have this limitation. Instead, when your emergency signal is transmitted, it’s received by many people. Some who could be close enough to assist you with transportation or medical expertise to stabilize your injury.

Establishing an Emergency

Channel 9 is designated as the National Emergency and Highway Assistance channel. Base and mobile stations monitor the channel for any alerts. For life and death emergencies, the code 10-33 is used to clear the frequency of any other users. In turn, the monitors contact 9-1-1 or the first responders who are closest to your scene.

If Channel 9 isn’t available, try another open frequency. For example, though channel 19 is utilized to report on traffic conditions it has enough people listening to declare an emergency.

Responding to an Emergency

If you’re responding to an emergency, stop what you are doing – this includes driving – and record the user’s handle, exact location, and extent of the emergency. Next, determine if it’s something you can handle or if you need first responders as well.

Learn more about declaring emergencies via CB, especially radio options to automatically tune to channels 9 and 19. Speak to one of our CB Radio Supply staff for additional details.