The Wilderness Protocol is a vital emergency communications practice for ham radio operators and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re hiking in a remote wilderness area or simply monitoring your local repeater, understanding and participating in the Wilderness Protocol can make a critical difference during an emergency.

I wanted to take a minute to discuss how to use the Wilderness Protocol to call for help and what operators can do to monitor and assist during these periods.

What Is the Wilderness Protocol?

The Wilderness Protocol is a standardized procedure for using amateur radio to call for help in remote areas where traditional communication methods like cell phones may not work. It revolves around specific times and frequencies, ensuring that those in distress can reach someone who is listening, even in the most isolated locations.

The protocol encourages ham radio operators to monitor designated frequencies at specific times each day, so anyone in need of help has a better chance of being heard.

How to Use the Wilderness Protocol to Call for Help

If you’re in a remote area and need help, here’s how you can use the Wilderness Protocol:

1. Know the Monitoring Times

• The primary monitoring times are:
  • 7:00 AM
  • 10:00 AM
  • 1:00 PM
  • 4:00 PM
  • 7:00 PM
  • 10:00 PM
• Operators typically monitor for 5-10 minutes around these times. If possible, call at these intervals for the best chance of being heard.

2. Use the Designated Frequencies

• The most commonly monitored frequencies for Wilderness Protocol are:
  • 146.52 MHz (2-meter national simplex calling frequency)
  • 446.000 MHz (70 cm simplex frequency)
  • Other local simplex or repeater frequencies depending on your region.
• If you’re in a region where a specific frequency is widely monitored, be sure to use that.

3. Transmit Your Call for Help

• Use clear and concise language. For example:

This is [Your Callsign]. I need assistance. My location is [Describe location as clearly as possible, such as GPS coordinates or landmarks]. If anyone can assist, please respond.

• Repeat your call several times during the monitoring period. Speak slowly and clearly.

4. Conserve Battery Power

• If you’re using a handheld or mobile radio, conserve your battery by limiting transmissions and sticking to monitoring times. Keep your radio in low power mode when not transmitting, and switch to high power if your initial call isn’t heard.

How Ham Radio Operators Can Help by Monitoring the Wilderness Protocol

Ham radio operators play a crucial role in making the Wilderness Protocol effective. Here’s how you can participate:

1. Set Reminders for Monitoring Times

• Make it a habit to monitor the designated frequencies during the specified times. Even a quick 5-10 minute scan could save a life.

2. Use the Right Equipment

• Ensure your equipment is functional, and keep a good antenna connected for better range. Monitoring with both 2-meter and 70 cm radios increases the likelihood of hearing someone in distress.

3. Log Your Activity

• Maintain a simple log of the times you monitored, the frequencies used, and any communications you heard. This can help coordinate responses if someone reports an issue later.

4. Respond to Calls for Help

• If you hear a distress call:
  • Respond calmly and acknowledge the call.
  • Gather critical information such as the caller’s location, nature of the emergency, and any immediate needs.
  • Coordinate with local emergency services if needed and relay the information appropriately.

5. Encourage Local Repeater Participation

• Many repeaters allow for Wilderness Protocol participation, either by monitoring directly or by retransmitting simplex calls. Work with your local repeater operators to ensure they are aware of the protocol.

Why the Wilderness Protocol Matters

The Wilderness Protocol is a simple but powerful tool that brings the ham radio community together in support of outdoor enthusiasts and those who may find themselves in distress. It reinforces the principle of mutual aid and highlights the unique value of amateur radio in emergencies.

By adopting the Wilderness Protocol, we can create a lifeline for those in need and make a tangible impact on safety in the great outdoors. Whether you’re in the field calling for help or monitoring from the comfort of your shack, your participation matters.

Let’s keep the spirit of amateur radio alive and make a difference where it counts!

Written by Rick Kirchhof – NG5V on 09 September 2015

Texas has strange, unpredictable and often violent weather. Rainfall rates can be much higher here than in other parts of the country. Many people are new the to the Central Texas area and have never seen rain falling so hard that you can’t see the front end of the hood on your car. Rains like this can cause road and bridge flooding, creating deadly risks to people not expecting their car may get washed away. Lightning, hail and high winds all present special risks to people and property.  The National Weather Service has large amounts of data available to it but they don’t have eyes in the field in most cases. Trained weather observers, amateur radio operators and new automated systems like the Austin Flood Early Warning System  (FEWS) add to situational awareness at the NWS. However, more information is needed.

Police, Fire, EMS, Water and Street/bridge teams all report information upward within their organization. Usually this info is only for that team does not travel further or become notices to the public. CERT and other volunteer groups all have additional information but not a quick way to submit it for action. Amateur radio operators are different. Where ever you may be, if you have info about serious or dangerous conditions, hams can get that to someone and drive actions by general reports, or in a special Weather Net.  

Weather nets, held on a wide coverage local repeater, are an Austin tradition going back decades. Hams can provide quality, up to the minute info about what is actually happening in the field. Most of the information flows from the hams, to the weather net, and onward to the NWS or other served agencies who monitor our on-air nets. Sometimes, questions come to the weather net control about conditions in a given area. In this case, the NCS may ask if anyone is observing near a specific locaiton.  

TV and radio stations frequently monitor weather nets to see what events present special risk to the public. Always assume that your transmission to the weather net will be monitored. These are frequently repeated by local weathercasters within minutes of their occurance on the net. Reports must be accurate, specific and include the location and time of the weather event. Do not use the word Tornado unless you are certain that a funnel cloud is in contact with the ground and debris is visible. Skywarn training is invaluable for obtaining skills you need to accurately observe and report weather events.  

Here is proof, read about the unprecedented flooding along Onion Creek
October 2013 is one for the record books. There were a number of rain daiys during the month. Heavy rains fell in the Southern and Eastern parts of Travis county on 10/13 and again overnight into Halloween. You have heard for years the SKYWARN stories about weather in this part of Texas being a series of droughts interrupted by floods.

I had previously listed a number of links for weather and stream/river info elsewhere on this site. One of the best of these is the group of USGS river and stream flow gauges. The list of Texas gauges, grouped by county is found here. This site also has a new mobile device version under development. Read the Mobile Site Tutorial Try it (http://m.waterdata.usgs.gov) from your mobile device! All graphhics in this article are courtesy of the USGS.

Of particular interest is the RATE at which these streams can rise and flood. One night in July, 2012, tiny Walnut creek exploded after multiple rain storms. The result is a threat to everyone downstream. Flows at this rate can mean the end of your life if you slip into the water.

The chart above has no real scale since few people think of river flow in cubic feet/sec. It takes on new meaning when you realize the water flow that flooded the shores of LadyBird Lake after the rainfall was only a little more flow than the Walnut Creek flood.

Both of these are truly outclassed by the historic flooding that occurred along Onion Creek the morning of 10/31/2013. Most of the creeks and streams in the county are either dry or just enough to let your dog play a bit. They can turn into killers like Onion Creek did during the flood.

   

The chart also shows the rain event from earlier in the month. Between these times, Onion Creek, like many of the nearby creeks is either totally dry or something you can find enough rocks to step across with dry shoes. The lesson here is: Creeks can and do rise very quickly. Buildings, equipment, pets and people near them at that time are in grave danger. Many Central Texas residents are new to the area.

Try to share your understanding of water safety and explain the true meaning of “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”.