Handheld outplays cell phone in accident's wake

When Storey County, Nevada, Emergency Coordinator Randy Davenport, KA4NMA, got into an automobile accident early on December 10, he sure was glad to have his 2-meter handheld transceiver along.

"I was going down a side road and hit a sheet of ice," he reports. "I fishtailed into the other lane and nearly hit a car head on! But for some reason, my Ford Explorer turned sideways going down the road, and it did not roll over." Instead, he ended up sliding off the roadway into a creek, sustaining some injuries in the process.

"I had no cell phone service, so I grabbed my HT and put out a call on 146.61," he said (the antenna for his 2-meter mobile was broken in the accident). Richard Foreman, KK7SL, an ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator in Carson City, heard his distress call and dialed 911. "The fire and sheriff department was on the scene within minutes," Davenport said.

"Lesson learned: Cell phones do not work everywhere. Always carry a 2-meter radio (or other band) of some sort - handheld with charged battery or mobile - for emergency communication."

Source: ARRL Letter - courtesy of The American Radio Relay League

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