To the Editor:
During recent decades, mountains have received a growing flow of visitors, even becoming major tourist attractions in many parts of the world.1,2 Paralleling this increase in the number of people who go to mountains as a recreational activity, we have seen a spectacular increase in the incidence of accidents in the natural environment in Spain, 3 a consequence described by some experts as a true public health problem. 4
Emergency care in the mountains is a challenge for rescue teams because of the difficulty in accessing and communicating with the injured party, resulting from the topography of the terrain. In view of the possibility of an incident and to facilitate communication and requests for help from emergency services, private individuals, or nearby groups, the #Canal77PMR initiative has been rolled out across Spain since 2015 by some mountaineering clubs, nongovernmental organizations, and individual people (sportsmen and radio amateurs). This initiative encourages individuals engaging in outdoor activities in natural areas to carry their own personal mobile radios (PMRs) set to listening mode on channel 7 subchannel 7 (446.08125 MHz; CTCSS Tone Frequency 85.4 Hz). 5
PMRs are transceivers that operate in the ultra–high-frequency band and are authorized for amateur use without a license in most European Union countries. The power of these radios is limited to 0.5 W; hence, their range is no more than 10 km in ideal conditions (without physical obstacles between transmitter and receiver).
In addition to mobile phones (or as a substitute, under circumstances in which phones do not work), the use of PMR transceivers on channel 7 subchannel 7 facilitates coordination among different members of the same group of outdoor adventurers (eg, climbers, hikers, skiers) and could allow communication with other nearby groups that might need or provide help, information, or assistance. Furthermore, PMRs could be a direct channel of communication with rescue services while en route to the scene of an incident.
As they have become cheaper and more widely available, PMR transceivers have become more popular for personal and recreational purposes. Beyond this, however, their use as a safety measure among people or rescue team staff should be encouraged for all activities in the mountains and other isolated areas. The more PMRs carried in listening mode on channel 7 subchannel 7, the greater the likelihood that people in distress will receive prompt assistance from other groups nearby or rescue teams when far from the usual reach of traditional emergency services.