Emergency Frequencies and Channels

Unlike ham radio with its well-known 146.520 MHz national calling frequency, GMRS does not have an officially designated national emergency channel. However, there are widely recognized conventions and practical strategies for emergency communication.

Commonly used emergency channels

• Channel 20 (462.6750 MHz): Some GMRS groups and online communities have informally designated Channel 20 as an emergency or calling channel. It's not universal, but it's the closest thing GMRS has to a national convention.
• Channel 19 (462.6500 MHz) with 141.3 Hz CTCSS: The unofficial travel calling frequency. Widely monitored by mobile GMRS operators, making it a good place to call for help on the road.
• Repeater input/output pairs (Channels 15R-22R): Local repeaters are often the best way to reach the most operators at once. In an emergency, a repeater call will reach farther and be heard by more people than a simplex call.

Why pre-coordination matters

Since there's no official standard, the most effective emergency frequency is the one your local community agrees on ahead of time. A pre-coordinated channel that five families in your neighborhood all have programmed is far more useful than a "national" channel no one near you is monitoring.

Work with your family network, neighbors, and local GMRS groups to agree on:

1. A primary emergency simplex channel with a specific CTCSS tone your group uses
2. A backup channel in case the primary has interference
3. Local repeater frequencies as a third option for extended range

Programming your radio

Create a dedicated memory channel labeled "EMRG" or "EMERGENCY" in your radio with your pre-agreed settings. Most radios let you name memory channels, so label it clearly. Program the same emergency channel settings into every radio in your group.

Also program:

• Channel 20 (462.6750 MHz) simplex — no CTCSS tone, so you can hear anyone calling
• Channel 19 (462.6500 MHz) with 141.3 Hz CTCSS — the travel calling frequency
• All local GMRS repeaters — see our finding repeaters guide

Scanning for help

If you're in an emergency and don't know who's nearby, use your radio's scan function to sweep all GMRS channels. Many radios can scan all 30 GMRS channels in seconds. When you hear activity, stop and call for help on that channel.