Any local individual, neighborhood group, Community Emergency Response Team, community hub or organization with an FRS radio, a  “repeater-capable” GMRS 2-way radio (see below) and FCC GMRS license is welcome to participate in the gen4AI network for emergency communications.

Gen4AI users are also encouraged participate in the regular  Wednesday 7:30PM check-in net to build confidence in using their radios.  During these brief check-ins you may hear stations from not only Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth but also Tiverton and North Kingstown. 

FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) are FCC-regulated radio services in the UHF frequency band designed for short-distance, 2-way communications. Radios that work with both of these services were called “FRS/GMRS” radios, and newer (2017) FCC rules reclassify these as “FRS-only” (FRS) and “GMRS-only” (GMRS) radios, based on their features and capabilities.  It is important to understand that the effective range of the FRS radio can be limited to 0.25 to 1+ mile because of its fixed, non-removable antenna. 

2-way GMRS radios are available in portable handheld and mobile/base station versions.  External antennas can be attached to these radios which markedly improves  range. Handheld 2-way radios can also be called walkie-talkies, handie-talkies or just HTs (handheld transmitters/handie-talkies). Mobile radios can be installed in vehicles or used as home base stations and often have more features and can transmit with more power than handhelds. Handhelds have the advantage of being portable and are usually less expensive.

New GMRS radios are introduced monthly.  Consult the excellent suggestions from California-based group GMRS Emergency Network - Oakland (GENOAK). Go to: https://www.genoak.org/radios/

To boost the radio's performance and improve one's readiness, we are happy to educate new radio owners on antennas, external speaker/microphones, battery power options, and considerations while driving. Just come to a monthly meeting to get tailored advice.