Communication during emergencies
Are you good at keeping cool under pressure? Want to put your Scout skills to the test? This is exciting activity with your Scout or Guide group to practice communication in an emergency!
About this activity
Have you ever wondered how people communicate with each other during emergency situations, such as earthquakes and typhoons? This is your chance to practice and understand what really takes place to step up and help out during a crisis. Join this educational and fun way to discover what a Scout group can do to help in times of crisis. A Scout is always prepared!
An important task in emergency communication is to be ready to listen, decipher and forward importnat messages received.
The Scouts and Guides will receive a VOICE and CW message. An amateur radio operator or a Scout/Guide Leader will transmit the messages for the Scouts and Guides to decipher. Please do not show the transcript or the Morse Code before the activity.
We received a radio transmission. Below the audio file of the message:
“PU7MCV – CQ CQ CQ - I am calling from a Scout group in the Balucharia region of East-Scoutonia where we’ve just been hit AGAIN by an earthquake – a big one, about 7.4 on the Richter scale – PU7MCV, over.”
“PU7MCV – CQ CQ CQ - earthquake in East-Scoutonia - we urgently need doctors, warm clothing, food, water and transportation for the wounded – PU7MCV, over.”
NOTE: A Scout leader or Amateur Radio Operator can send the message in their own language to facilitate to the participants.
We received a message in Morse code and we must decipher it. Below is the name of the audio file for the full message.
English | Portuguese |
File 00 - Full Message - SOS Scoutonia | Arquivo 000 - Mensagem Completa - Terremoto na Scoutonia |
To make it easier, audio files of each part of the message in Morse Code are also available.
English | Portuguese |
File 01 - VVV - means attention |
Only for Morse code in English. The representation below in dots (short sound - di) and dashes (long sound – dah) is the same as in the sound files above. We recommend using the sound files.
- ...- ...- ...-
- ... --- ...
- ...- ...- ...-
- . .- .-. - .... --.- ..- .- -.- .
- .. -.
- ... -.-. --- ..- - --- -. .. .-
- .-- .
- ..- .-. --. . -. - .-.. -.—
- -. . . -..
- -.. --- -.-. - --- .-. ...
- .-- .- .-. –
- -.-. .-.. --- - .... .. -. --.
- ..-. --- --- -..
- .-- .- - . .-.
- .- -. -..
- .-. .- -. ... .--. --- .-. –
- ..-. --- .-.
- .... .
- .-- --- ..- -. -.. . -..
Only for Morse Code in Portuguese. The representation below in dots (short sound - di) and dashes (long sound – dah) is the same as in the sound files above. We recommend using the sound files.
- ... --- ...
- - . .-. .-. . -- --- - ---
- ... -.-. --- ..- - --- -. .. .-
- .--. .-. . -.-. .. ... .- -- --- ...
- ..- .-. --. . -. - .
- -.. .
- -- . -.. .. -.-. --- ...
- .-. --- ..- .--. .- ...
- --.- ..- . -. - . ...
- .- .-.. .. -- . -. - --- ...
- .- --. ..- .-
- - .-. .- -. ... .--. --- .-. - .
- -.. .
- ..-. . .-. .. -.. --- ...
Morse code is a system that represents letters, numbers, and punctuation marks through a coded signal sent intermittently through long and short sounds. It was developed by Samuel Morse in 1835, the creator of the electric telegraph, a device that uses electrical currents to control electromagnets that act on the emission and reception of signals. A Morse-encoded message can be transmitted in several ways in short and long pulses (or tones). When visualizing a point, say or think “Di”. Likewise, when visualizing a trait, do not say or think “trace”, but think or say “daah”.
Scouting empowers young people with the leadership skills and resilience to help other people when disaster strikes, both in the short-term delivering vital aid and logistical support and importantly also in the long-term by rebuilding communities, integrating refugees into society, and helping children and families who have suffered immense hardship to rebuild their lives and experience joy, compassion and belonging in Scouting.
Learning humanitarian action skills like you did today means you’ve learned new skills to help you respond and create a better world when it’s needed most!
JOTA-JOTI Ham Radio Handbook
Everything you need to know about the amateur radio can be found in the JOTA-JOTI Ham Radio Handbook.
Share your experience!
Share photos or videos on your social media using #JOTAJOTI tagging @jota_joti and share what was learned! Remember: Never post photos of others without permission, and always seek parental consent to share photos of children.