Ensuring a safe and secure homeland for all North Dakotans

ND Department of Emergency Services

Basic Radio 101An Emergency Responder’s Guide to Effective Radio Communication

Communication is Important

• Communicate effectively

• Protect community• Save lives

Purpose

Provide a common understanding of basic two-way radio knowledge and

guidelines to enhance overall communication for all North Dakota

emergency responders

Overview of TrainingModule 1: Introduction to Radio Basics

Module 2: Radio Protocol Guidelines

Module 3: Troubleshooting

Module 4: Local Perspective

Introduction to Radio Basics

Getting to Know Your Radio and How to Use It Effectively

Module 1

Radio CommunicationIntroduction to Radio Basics

Walkie-talkies, Phones and Radios

How It Works

• Radio console• Base station• Tower/repeater• Mobile radio• Portable radio

What’s a PSAP?Public

Safety

Answering

Point

Emergency911

Base Station

• Fixed radio station• Receives and

transmits– NOT simultaneously

http://cfpub.epa.gov

Mobile Radio• Mounted• Used in motion or

stopped

Portable Radio• Battery powered• Hand held• Carried by

person

Repeaters• Boost signal• Receive and transmit

different frequencies simultaneously

Towers• Reduce interference• Signal travels farther

Anatomy of a RadioIntroduction to Radio Basics

Power• Power “ON” and “OFF”• Different styles

– Push button– Control knob

• Turn off when changing batteries

Squelch• Eliminates noise on

analog radios• “Open” for white noise• “Close” to reduce noise• Separate knob or ring

under volume knob

• Wait 2 seconds• Speak in normal voice• Incoming messages

lost if PTT is activated

Push-to-Talk (PTT)

Speaker & Mic• Speaker and mic

together• Mic when PTT is

pressed• Speaker when PTT is

not in use

• Vertical for best reception

• Not a handle

Antenna

Batteries• When storing:

– Turn off radio– Remove or replace

with charged batteries

• Have extra battery pack

Programming the RadioIntroduction to Radio Basics

Analog vs. Digital Signals

Analog• Signal unaltered• Heard simultaneously• Human voice is analog

Digital• Not continuous• Signal encoded• Converted back to plain

audio

Battle of the Bands

VHF• Very High Frequency• 150 MHz to 170 MHz

UHF• Ultra-high Frequency• 450 MHz to 470 MHz

• Respond to and recover from:• ALL Hazards• ALL Disasters

• Push-button• Dial control• Automatic scanning

Channel ScanningChannel/ModeSelect Knob

• One frequency at a time

• Must be on same channel

• Special-use frequencies

Selecting Frequency

Channel/ModeSelect Knob POL

DISP NW

Channel/ModeName

CALLPAGEMUTE

Introduction to Radio Basics

Review• General radio

communication• Anatomy of a radio• Programming the radio

Ensuring a safe and secure homeland for all North Dakotans. 

ND Department of Emergency Services