Jim —
Thanks for all that you do and the many able contributors to your site. This evening, Sunday, 05/22/2011, I am listening to the “live audio feed” of the Jasper County and Joplin, Missouri, law enforcement scanner traffic. As I am listening, the various agencies are dealing with the aftermath of a deadly tornado that hit Joplin. As a former police officer I have been through this sort of event. However, listening to their radio traffic is eye-opening, even for me. I am getting a new perspective on many of the nuances of dealing with a catastrophe of this sort. They are dealing with gas leaks, trapped individuals, medical emergencies, numerous deceased victims and numbers of newly homeless folks.
By the way, I am very impressed with the officers and emergency responders that I am listening to. My hat is off to them. Your readers may be too late to listen to these events in Missouri that are unfolding but many of them might like to listen in on the next disaster. Believe me, just listening will help them consolidate survival plans of their own. Once people from around the country hear of some local disaster, they can go to RadioReference.com and see if they can locate a nearby emergency services agency whose radio traffic is available as a “live audio feed” and listen in. – S. in Kansas