Emergency Preparedness

Meshtastic can give your household another way to exchange short messages when cellular service is unavailable. It works only when charged radios have a usable path between them, directly or through other nodes. Plan for missed messages, and keep other ways to contact one another.

Make a simple check-in plan

Choose who will carry a radio, where they expect to use it, and one or two places to meet if messaging fails. Agree on check-in times and who should reply to confirm receipt. Keep messages short and specific: where you are, whether you are safe, what you need, and what you plan to do next.

For example:

• SAFE - home - 6:10 pm - power out - next check-in 7 pm
• AT library - need pickup - reply with ETA
• MOVING to school entrance - will check in at 7:30 pm

A radio acknowledgment does not mean a person read your message. Ask for a written reply when confirmation matters. If no reply arrives, follow your meeting plan rather than assuming the other person received it.

Prepare the equipment

• Charge each radio and phone, and keep the right cables and a spare power source together.
• Label the radios so each person knows which one is theirs. Save a short setup guide where your household can read it offline.
• Check that every radio has the BayMesh recommended settings, or the same agreed private-group settings. For private channels or a separate family mesh, follow Private Channels and Groups.
• Practice connecting the app with cellular data and Wi-Fi off, leaving Bluetooth on.

Run a short drill

Send messages from home, work, school pickup points, and likely travel routes. Have each person reply, and note where messages fail in either direction. Repeat the test at different times or after changing radio placement. Hills, buildings, low batteries, and unavailable relay nodes can change the path. If you use a home base station, test the handheld-to-base link too.

Review the plan periodically: people move, batteries age, and the mesh changes. Meshtastic does not contact 911 or a monitored rescue service, and neither BayMesh nor a private channel guarantees delivery. Use available emergency services when you need them.