As most of you probably are aware, Minneapolis is in flames from rioting.
Here in Central Mass, market changes have destroyed local media. The local newspapers were bought up by out of state companies, and the local reporting staff fired. There is barely any local news coverage, and certainly nothing up to the minute.
Further, there is a tendency for the government / police to hush up things that might make the citizens uneasy. A friend of mine was sexually assaulted in the aisles of a local grocery store, and the store and police hushed it up, worried that it would negatively affect business.
If the Minneapolis riots spread to my nearby city, I'm wondering how would I keep abreast of what's going on?
Would ham radio be useful here?
It would be great to be able to tune into ham radio, and get up to the minute reports about the area. Kind of like Skywarn for public safety. You could figure out what was happening, what areas of the city were safe, and if anything was spreading to your area.
Would ARES activate to do this sort of thing, or are they limited to health and welfare things? Would it be useful to organize something to provide this sort of thing when TSHTF?
Thanks
N1AUP
Get and custom-program a scanner. I've had scanners in my possession since I was a kid. I happen to feel having a scanner in the radio mix here is essential, much like how you wish to look to the ham bands for pertinent information to current situations. You will not get the real-time info from hams that you will right from the horse's mouth-the police.
99% of the time, IF I have the scanner on actually monitoring for just monitoring sake, I will gain exactly what's going down at the very time it's happening. Most of the time, I have that info before I will see it on the news.
Example, last couple days, because of this rioting/looting/protesting, I kept the scanner on starting at about noon and heard exactly when (3PM) where (Embarcadero, Mission, 280 freeway on-ramps, and South Van Ness) who (SFPD and CHP including choppers) probably at the same time any news outfits were receiving the same stuff I was, the protest leads and an accumulation of about 3500 protesters established organized and executed their movements. And I was able to follow every turn and split and even assault on cops/property that group made in real time.
I even discovered random looting right near me in western Frisco. I would never know any of this without that rig. I would just be ignorant along with my neighbors. And I'd also be aware if this stuff started getting too close to my QTH and would be able to warn others around me as well as otherwise take action-because of that radio.
I feel that you hams should have a scanner in the mix of radios if you want real-time, essential information.