Yesterday, the pair of GMRS radios I ordered arrived. They allow me to receive FM radio stations, NOAA weather forecasts, police, fire, and medical, as well as air traffic control and ham radio transmissions. I can receive all of these, but can only transmit on a specific set of channels. This type of radio requires a license to operate, but it is very easy to obtain and covers all members of the family. In essence, these are short-range walkie-talkies that also allow you to simultaneously monitor two different frequencies and cover a huge band of the radio spectrum.

I set one radio up to monitor Concord Police and Fire Dispatch. The other one is set to monitor air traffic control at nearby Hanscom Airfield. Because Concord is a sleepy little town, I did not imagine there would be that much action on the radio. The Fire Department responded to three false alarms, including the new Chipotle in town, the Concord Academy Science Building, and the Concord Children’s Center. All three were false alarms. I was very impressed by the speed of response. Each time I arrived, the firefighters were already heading out. The first call came when I was at home, so I decided to head over to Chipotle for an early lunch. The second two came while I was driving in town, allowing me to quickly divert to the scene. I was very impressed.

UPDATE: Later in the evening, I heard another call for a return visit to Chipotle. Four false alarms in one day.