O Canada! > Canadian > Canadian Chat > This Is Why We Need Pay Phones

emergency services aren't really equipped to interface with ham radio operators. Even with the ARES training done by many ham radio groups they're lucky to get even token support from their local emergency services. It really is a shame that such resources aren't better integrated or even acknowledged.

In the air, on the site of the road, underground in duct structure. You're right, it's not likely - it's a fact. It still out there.

As for the water-proof-ness (is that a word?) - many cables still rely on air-dryers - air is pumped into the cable from the CO, and remotes, to keep positive pressure in the cable, and prevent water infiltration. If the power to the air compressor fails, the cable will go wet, sometimes in very short order, depending on the region.

Not true. The central offices of Bell Canada have large batteries and generators to recharge them. They can go for days.

Surprising to hear that, given that in this area, moisture is a serious issue. The water table in sections of the city is about two feet below grade. Many houses in the centre of town can't have basements of any depth.

Ham radio emergency system are better implemented than one would think.

In Canada you have CFARS, RAC and RAQI that coordinate Emergency system with public emergency service.

The idea of having Pay phones for when cell networks go down, is fine, in theory. But at what cost, and who pays?

The first precaution to take is to get out of dodge. I cannot comprehend why people stayed in coastal beach areas surrounded by ocean and rivers etc with a Hurricane and high tide and storm surge coming. I would be have tempted to charge them all with stupidity or at least for the emergency services they used. Of course there are some that could not leave (no transport, too old, unable to drive, no family support etc), but those people were lost in the weeds of all the selfish ones that did not go. The number of 911 calls were staggering.

If there's a generator onsite, it will have between 24 and 72 hours of fuel at a minimum, depending on the classification of the site; and sometimes much more.

Some of my offices maintain as much as 14 days of fuel; although most are 48-72 hours.

How about emergency call boxes rather than payphones? I'm a younger guy here, but I still remember them along the highway when I was a kid.

Do you want them badly enough to pay for them?

The real issue is the lack of redundancy and scaling in cellular systems. There's no point in investing in technology that almost no one uses, the money is better spent on technology that is being used.

If you remember the "Ice Storm"... yes that ice storm...Bell...bless their hearts put a lot of effort into making sure each CO had a generator and fuel shipped in.

As the likelihood of a major long lasting power interruption is pretty good, if not guaranteed, in our lifetime it will be interesting to see if they could or would sustain that effort next time.