Here locally in Butte County, we have a Neighborhood Radio Watch operating with GMRS instead of amateur bands. Licensing through the FCC is $70 for ten years for the whole family. We have a repeater going up on Indian Property. So, for our area, we have amateurs working with citizens ala communications. I would suggest that other communities to the same for their disaster/safety comms. In fact our fourth net occurred tonight with folks checking in via radio to net control. Even have my wife doing the net check in and she has no interest in amateur radio, but will do GMRS. I got her a Btech GMRSV-1...A Chinese radio for certain, but it works. We were able to do the net from a distance of seven miles or so with a stock antenna. The radio is a hand held.
outstanding