Wind blew at over 260 km/h at the end of October 2023 along the coast of Guerrero, Mexico. Hurricane Otis, considered the strongest in the Mexican Pacific, hit Acapulco. The city with over 850,000 inhabitants and vacationing tourists was left without electricity and communication. But the radio once again showed its relevance over 100 years after its invention and became a light for hundreds of families by strengthening locating efforts during an emergency.
Over 1,200 kilometres away, Manuel Adams and Andrea Flores were trying to communicate with their relatives in Acapulco from Monterrey. Marco Antonio, Andrea's father, is a radio amateur, so they decided to try to contact him.
Manuel recounts that, along with Andrea, they used a shortwave radio and sought the collaboration of radio stations across the country. Thanks to this, they reached out to taxi drivers in Acapulco. Meanwhile, Marco Antonio improvised an antenna with a wire and connected intermittently from the coastal city. Within a few hours and thanks to the radio, a couple of locals managed to link up with the National Emergency Network of the Mexican Federation of Radio Experimenters and Marco was located.
Without the radio and the knowledge of its reach and operation, the Brigada Otis would not have been able to assist in locating people during the emergency caused by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco
From this experience, Andrea and Manuel decided to help locate more people who were urgently sought by their families, with the support of others on the ground. Thus, the Brigada Otis (Otis Brigade) was born, which contributed to locating more than 100 people who had been isolated during the first days of the emergency.
Our era is characterized by rapid technological innovation and thus the rapid obsolescence of multiple tools and platforms. However, radio remains with its powerful impact. In 2024, World Radio Day highlights its utilitarian value as a relatively free and portable public safety network, even during emergencies and power outages, and the experience of the Otis Brigade in Acapulco confirms this.
Cell phones, digital platforms, or internet access are not universal, and in Acapulco, as their batteries ran out and electricity was not restored, the radio was the medium of hope. As UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay points out in her : radio constitutes a more inclusive and accessible medium, especially in crises.
Even in the 21st century, radio has managed to connect us with our loved ones
Volunteers on the ground, both inside and outside of Acapulco, from digital platforms, and primarily young people, bolstered the structure of the Otis Brigade, which has recruited over 60 volunteers from Latin America, the United States, Canada, and Europe to date. Today, they coordinate the mobilization of donations and continue with radio broadcasting efforts to contribute to locating disconnected individuals through a form.
Brigada Otis
Learn about the actions of the Brigade or contact via WhatsApp at the number: (+52)7626282849
