New Mexico Fires: Is Radio Providing Critical Information?

[louis_p]

I have read several articles that the fires in New Mexico have impacted the cellular network and evacuees don’t have access to critical information:

Evacuees seek refuge amidst Lincoln National Forest wildfires

As the South Fork and Salt Fires continue to grow near Ruidoso, aid groups are working in adjacent communities to help individuals fleeing the growing wildfires. KRWG’s Jonny Coker reports.

www.kunm.org

other than hearing from the volunteer firefighter, White said she was frustrated by the lack of information from officials amidst a communications blackout in Capitan.

“We have no information, we have no cell phone service, we have no internet, we have nothing. And nobody comes around [to] tell us anything,” she said.

Are the local emergency officials liaising with the media to provide updates to the community? I’m curious if stations are providing timely updates and evacuees are unaware because they don’t own portable radios.

 

[Ma “Contrarian” Gee]

There is very little radio in that part of NM. Check Ruidoso at radio-locator. Mountainous terrain. Alamogordo is 35 miles out. Roswell is 60 miles. ABQ and El Paso are over 100 miles away.

 

[kwthom]

There is very little radio in that part of NM. Check Ruidoso at radio-locator. Mountainous terrain. Alamogordo is 35 miles out. Roswell is 60 miles. ABQ and El Paso are over 100 miles away.

Yet, there's this:

1490 AM KRUI The Mountain | Community Radio Station Ruidoso, New Mexico

Every day, 1490 KRUI The Mountain Ruidoso, NM, connects with residents and visitors on the air, online, and in-person to explore local news, ideas, events. and conversations.

www.1490krui.com

No idea if still on-air at the time of this writing.

EDIT: Social media still seems to be the method for getting information to the masses.

EDIT2: Don't even need an account to read a lot of it;' people still looking for info...

Village of Ruidoso | Ruidoso NM

Village of Ruidoso, Ruidoso, New Mexico. 49,454 likes · 85,391 talking about this · 1,814 were here. This is the official page of the Village of Ruidoso, the Village Council and the Office of the Mayor

www.facebook.com

W 105 Your Country

MTD Radio Inc

www.w105radio.com

 

[louis_p]

There is very little radio in that part of NM. Check Ruidoso at radio-locator. Mountainous terrain. Alamogordo is 35 miles out. Roswell is 60 miles. ABQ and El Paso are over 100 miles away.

I checked radio-locator, and it doesn't seem like a "signal desert":

There are 23 radio stations that may be within distant listening range of
Ruidoso, New Mexico.

There are two public radio transmitters within 8 miles of the city. Looking at the coverage maps, these stations cover Ruidoso with a city grade signal.

 

[crainbebo]

KRUI is off the air as are all other AMs/FMs in the county. Look to Roswell FMs. That was the ONLY route the residents could evacuate to. Roswell has several thousand extra people living there right now, some in churches, some in Red Cross shelters, some in hotels.
Everyone was forced to go a couple of days ago.

 

[louis_p]

EDIT: Social media still seems to be the method for getting information to the masses.

EDIT2: Don't even need an account to read a lot of it;' people still looking for info...

If the cellular network and local infrastructure have been impacted, then these critical updates on social media will not be accessible to those who need it. Maybe Starlink is the only connection available to the public internet from within the area.

KRUI is off the air as are all other AMs/FMs in the county. Look to Roswell FMs.

If all of the local transmitters are off the air, then it looks like the only signals available would be KKOB-AM and KNML-AM from Albuquerque and XEROK-AM out of Juarez. Out of all these options, I assume that KKOB-AM would be the best source for critical information as a news/talk station since they have local hosts in the studio for most of the day.

Since these stations are over 100 miles away, I doubt these AM signals would be very audible in the area unless residents own radios with sensitive tuners designed for DX-ing. The signals may be more reliable at night.

I can tell you we are here.. with a staff of 1, I';m making it work and listeners get 2 scheduled updates every weekday (7am and noon) with updates outside of that if things change or if any fires are threatening a community we serve.. and none currently are.

You absolutely provide a critical and life-saving service to the communities in Alaska. I'm curious as to how many stations proactively provide this level of critical information like KSKO does. With threats such as natural disasters due to climate change, environmental incidents due to pipeline leaks and train derailments, civil unrest, public safety incidents, and constant threat of war, reliable access to critical information in a timely manner could be the difference between life and death.

 

[kwthom]

KRUI is off the air as are all other AMs/FMs in the county. Look to Roswell FMs. That was the ONLY route the residents could evacuate to. Roswell has several thousand extra people living there right now, some in churches, some in Red Cross shelters, some in hotels.
Everyone was forced to go a couple of days ago.

Therefore, the point is still valid - social media is probably providing "close enough to real time" information for those that have evacuated to Roswell - or beyond.

As the area is very rural, the opportunity to move out - and take the animals - happened by those that are well versed in living in those conditions.

Like a lot of western wildfires, this one blew up pretty quickly.

I didn't look up tower locations (for AM or FM), but suspect the FM's were up in those same mountains that are burning right now. Either the xmtrs were shut down *before* power was pulled, or the power company simply pulled the plug for the safety of those fighting the fire.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

If the cellular network and local infrastructure have been impacted, then these critical updates on social media will not be accessible to those who need it. Maybe Starlink is the only connection available to the public internet from within the area.

EDIT: Social media still seems to be the method for getting information to the masses.

EDIT2: Don't even need an account to read a lot of it;' people still looking for info...

Social media IS a thing up here but theres no cellular broadband in any community up here and a few dont even have cell service.

Combine that with a power outage or storm and KSKO is where people turn to in a s^%tstorm kind of day

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

You absolutely provide a critical and life-saving service to the communities in Alaska. I'm curious as to how many stations proactively provide this level of critical information like KSKO does. With threats such as natural disasters due to climate change, environmental incidents due to pipeline leaks and train derailments, civil unrest, public safety incidents, and constant threat of war, reliable access to critical information in a timely manner could be the difference between life and death.

Many do, especially in Alaska.

When the SE Coast has had some natural disasters l;ately... the stations who have a bigger news staff than i have entire staff... stepped in and stepped up.

When there was an earthquake in anchorage a few years ago, i know many outlets probably stepped in and stepped up bgut i know for sure KSKA 91.1 did (not related to us)

 

[AbqAnonymous]

The site for KIDX 101.5 (Classic Rock) and KNMB 96.7 (Hot AC) as well as KENW satellite KENG 88.5 and translators for KHFM and a couple religious stations does appear to be within the path of the South Fork fire while KWES 93.5 (Classic Country) and AM KRUI and KBUY and its FM translator are closer to the village. Time will tell if there has been any damage to those facilities. Two FMs out of Cloudcroft, KTMN 97.9 (Classic Rock) and KHII 88.9 which appears to play a mix of Country and AC hits, are located south of the fires and do not appear to be affected in any way. Four of the stations in Roswell are owned by Majestic Communications and none of them stream and only Classic Rock KSFX has mentioned the evacuations on its Facebook page. Talk station KEND 106.5 has a local morning show that they archive on their website and they seem to be providing plenty of info as to how to help out while adding Ruidoso weather reports. Reports in the local media have been positive about how the town has helped out the evacuees.

 

[crainbebo]

The others are probably voicetracked or automated to high heaven. Family Life Radio is a national conglomerate and hasn't mentioned anything either, while they have a full-power FM in Roswell (KWFL-99.3).

CBS news said over 1,100 structures have been destroyed or damaged, a lot of homes gone
At least there's rain...I'd rather have mudslides than a fire destroying the entire city, ala Paradise/Lahaina...

Church On the Move has stepped up big time in Roswell. The entire sanctuary was turned into a shelter on evacuation night. They are still housing dozens or 100s of people.

 

[louis_p]

Social media IS a thing up here but theres no cellular broadband in any community up here and a few dont even have cell service.

Combine that with a power outage or storm and KSKO is where people turn to in a s^%tstorm kind of day

That is my point. If internet connectivity is not available via cellular, landline, or satellite, then the information posted on social media isn't accessible during the state of emergency. There are large areas in northern Canada without any cellular coverage for hundreds of square miles. These areas include communities that are vulnerable to seasonal wildfires and other natural disasters. I doubt that very many residents in these areas subscribe to Starlink or Xplore for satellite internet access.

Many do, especially in Alaska.

Do you think that Alaska is the norm or more of an exception? Perusing threads here discussing the role of radio during emergencies in the past, the results seem to be mixed.

For rural areas and small towns, if there is a dominant "full service" station that still provides local news, community announcements, high school sports, weather forecasts, obituaries, live presenters, etc. then station is likely a reliable source of critical information due to the station's (and owner's) ties to the community. A good example of this would be KOZI-FM in Chelan, WA. However, there are some areas like Paradise, CA that are no longer served by a "full service" station.

For large markets, the "go-to" station in an emergency would likely be the heritage news/talker that is staffed around the clock like KFI-AM in Los Angeles, WBZ-AM in Boston, and WWL-AM/FM in New Orleans. However, many of these stations are becoming more automated and absolving themselves of their commitment to community service due to corporate cutbacks.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

That is my point. If internet connectivity is not available via cellular, landline, or satellite, then the information posted on social media isn't accessible during the state of emergency. There are large areas in northern Canada without any cellular coverage for hundreds of square miles. These areas include communities that are vulnerable to seasonal wildfires and other natural disasters. I doubt that very many residents in these areas subscribe to Starlink or Xplore for satellite internet access.


Do you think that Alaska is the norm or more of an exception? Perusing threads here discussing the role of radio during emergencies in the past, the results seem to be mixed.

For rural areas and small towns, if there is a dominant "full service" station that still provides local news, community announcements, high school sports, weather forecasts, obituaries, live presenters, etc. then station is likely a reliable source of critical information due to the station's (and owner's) ties to the community. A good example of this would be KOZI-FM in Chelan, WA. However, there are some areas like Paradise, CA that are no longer served by a "full service" station.

For large markets, the "go-to" station in an emergency would likely be the heritage news/talker that is staffed around the clock like KFI-AM in Los Angeles, WBZ-AM in Boston, and WWL-AM/FM in New Orleans. However, many of these stations are becoming more automated and absolving themselves of their commitment to community service due to corporate cutbacks.

You'd be wrong about "not many subscribe to Starlink or Explore". I mean i cant speak specifical;ly to Canada, but i know tons do out here.. and its e asy to set up, not expensive and works GREAt, compared to hughesnet/exede/viasat, .. much much faster and lower latency.

I think Alaska might be a bit of an exception because often (not always, but often) what youre getting are the only sources of local information (radio stations in alaska).. so they have an obligation

 

[louis_p]

You'd be wrong about "not many subscribe to Starlink or Explore". I mean i cant speak specifical;ly to Canada, but i know tons do out here.. and its e asy to set up, not expensive and works GREAt, compared to hughesnet/exede/viasat, .. much much faster and lower latency.

I'm glad to hear that there's been strong adoption of Starlink in these rural areas. Hopefully, Musk will continue to improve the service as bandwidth demands increase.

Another consideration though is that Starlink is designed to be used in a fixed location unlike a cell phone or portable radio. Evacuees typically do not disconnect their Starlink hardware and stash it in their emergency kits before they flee the area.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I'm glad to hear that there's been strong adoption of Starlink in these rural areas. Hopefully, Musk will continue to improve the service as bandwidth demands increase.

Another consideration though is that Starlink is designed to be used in a fixed location unlike a cell phone or portable radio. Evacuees typically do not disconnect their Starlink hardware and stash it in their emergency kits before they flee the area.

Wrong again..... there are options for mobile starlink use.

im getting 50 to 200 megs down, 7 to 40 megs up, 40 to 175ms latency.. better than viasat/exede's 25-30 megs down 4 to 5 megs up and 1000ms latency

 

[xmtrland]

Unless your Starlink is used/stashed in your RV. The Gen 3 is easy to set up and move. I now several people that use Starlink while camping (Glamping) in the RV.

 

[kwthom]

Unless your Starlink is used/stashed in your RV. The Gen 3 is easy to set up and move. I now several people that use Starlink while camping (Glamping) in the RV.

More than a couple of the YouTube tornado chasers are using Starkink in their vehicles *while* moving. Same with at least one truck driver that live streams his travels.

Anyway...back to New Mexico. I'd suspect that many of the dwellings that burned are on the periphery of 'downtown' Ruidoso. Of course, with a really nice horse racing facility close by (Ruidoso Downs) that's been running races there for decades, that's always been a big area for ranching & rodeo activity.

 

[K6JHU]

From another part of New Mexico. Personal experience. Hail, wind and possible tornado came through yesterday. Power went out. I did not turn on the radio. I went to Nextdoor, Facebook, and the electric company web site using my cell phone to find out the situation. Videos, pictures. commentary, and the word straight from the electric company (12 poles down). No thought of going to radio. Sorry.

 

[louis_p]

From another part of New Mexico. Personal experience. Hail, wind and possible tornado came through yesterday. Power went out. I did not turn on the radio. I went to Nextdoor, Facebook, and the electric company web site using my cell phone to find out the situation. Videos, pictures. commentary, and the word straight from the electric company (12 poles down). No thought of going to radio. Sorry.

Both mediums have their pros and cons. The internet provides a medium to efficiently deliver hyper-local information relevant to your neighbourhood and also provides you with the means to communicate with your loved ones or request help.

I keep a pocket radio and extra AAA batteries in my emergency kit. It doesn't cost me a monthly subscription fee and it takes up very little real estate. Since the device has a lithium battery and solar panel, it would provide me with service for at least 2 weeks should I ever need it. Whether or not the stations in my area will provide critical information during an extended power outage is another question.

In an emergency situation, I would definitely turn to internet resources first such as social media, government emergency management websites, news websites, etc. as long as the network remains available. I might have the portable radio on in the background, but I can find locally relevant information on the internet faster than scanning the radio dial for a station then waiting for the announcer to provide the information. This time savings could be the difference between life and death during an emergency.

 

[secondchoice]

Both mediums have their pros and cons. The internet provides a medium to efficiently deliver hyper-local information relevant to your neighbourhood and also provides you with the means to communicate with your loved ones or request help.

I keep a pocket radio and extra AAA batteries in my emergency kit. It doesn't cost me a monthly subscription fee and it takes up very little real estate. Since the device has a lithium battery and solar panel, it would provide me with service for at least 2 weeks should I ever need it. Whether or not the stations in my area will provide critical information during an extended power outage is another question.

In an emergency situation, I would definitely turn to internet resources first such as social media, government emergency management websites, news websites, etc. as long as the network remains available. I might have the portable radio on in the background, but I can find locally relevant information on the internet faster than scanning the radio dial for a station then waiting for the announcer to provide the information. This time savings could be the difference between life and death during an emergency.

What would you do in a situation where the local internet fiber cables were cut (accidentally or other wise). In early 1970's one of the grocery stores near Soddy-Daisy TN was robbed on a Monday of a 3 day weekend. The employees pushed the robbery function on their alarm system. No Police response. Someone had blown up the town's small phone office. The store's alarm ran over the phone service. The police department had no phone service either. A surprising number of cables in every town run through either the phone companies central office or the cable operator central office. A lot of cell companies lease these cables to get to their sites. A few cell sites use microwave links to get to a point that there are sufficient data cables. The Internet is not indestructible.