The South Dakota Emergency Radio Network (SDERN) is an alternate means of
communication for people throughout the State of South Dakota area during an emergency. In the event of a neighborhood or area-wide power, telephone
or Internet failure, SDERN can keep you in touch. SDERN uses Family Radio
Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios on channel
1, no subchannel. FRS and GMRS radios are those little handheld
walkie-talkie radios that family and friends use to keep in touch at
parks, on ski slopes and in malls. If there's an emergency, tune your
radio to channel 1. SDERN may be your pipeline to emergency help and
information. SDERN is self-activating and doesn't require any special
training or equipment, other than an inexpensive FRS or GMRS radio.
When other communication networks go down, or if you need to communicate
outside and your cell phone's not working, just tune your FRS or GMRS
radio to channel 1 and talk. SDERN works a little like a relay, with
people passing information down the line. SDERN works on the
keep-it-simple principle. To join the SDERN Listserv, follow the
instructions on this page. SDERN is part of the Emergency Radio Network and National SOS Radio Network