As a student training to become a rescue specialist for the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), I’ve learned that communication is one of the most important skills in our profession. When lives depend on fast and clear coordination, a reliable walkie-talkie can make all the difference.

At our academy, we use Baofeng BF-88E radios during training. At first, I found it difficult to remember how these devices work — especially the frequency settings. My biggest challenge was understanding and memorizing the channel ranges, until I discovered how helpful real practice could be.

I spent hours in the dormitory talking with my roommate using the Baofeng radios. We practiced every day and learned to tune our devices correctly by studying baofeng frequency list. It was fun because using the radios felt like having our own secret communication line. We could talk as much as we wanted — for free! Sometimes, we even pretended to be secret agents. One time, we told another classmate over the radio that the dorm was under “code red lockdown” because of a “mysterious gas leak.” He ran downstairs with a towel over his face before realizing we were joking.

After that, my roommate Pavel and I got creative with our practice sessions. We decided that if we were going to learn radio communication, we might as well have some fun with it. We developed entire “missions” around the campus — pretending we were rescuers in a post-apocalyptic world, coordinating supplies and “evacuation routes.” The rest of the dorm quickly joined in, and soon, our walkie-talkie games became something like live-action training.

One night, Pavel and I stayed up late pretending to be “Command Center Bravo”, giving mysterious coded orders to anyone who accidentally picked up our frequency. “Unit 5, proceed to the kitchen for critical caffeine resupply,” I’d say in my most serious voice. Sometimes, we’d catch first-year students trying to decode our “operations.” The next morning, they’d show up in class confused, asking if there really was an overnight emergency drill.

We once even convinced the night security guard that the “lost and found department” had moved to the third floor. When he got there and found nothing, we both nearly died laughing — though we later confessed and helped him check the real radio frequency settings. To our relief, he wasn’t mad. In fact, he said our prank helped him realize his walkie-talkie wasn’t tuned properly, and he asked us to teach him how to use it!

Through these light-hearted moments, we got better at operating the Baofeng BF-88E — learning about transmission range, noise interference, and battery management. Practice really did make perfect.

Of course, our instructors reminded us that walkie-talkies are not just for fun — they are tools for saving lives. That’s why we also study Morse code. We learned that understanding morse code walkie talkie communication can be critical in emergencies when voice transmission is impossible. In one of our practical lessons, our class was divided into several groups. The leader of each group received a message from the instructor and had to transmit it to the rest of the team using Morse code over the radio. Then the roles switched, and someone else became the leader. In my group, only about one-third of the students managed to complete the task successfully.

I still find it challenging to memorize all the Morse code combinations, but I use the “di-di-di-dah” method to remember letters more easily. It’s fascinating how this old form of communication remains relevant for modern rescuers.

We also learn professional rescue terminology and communication standards. Our instructors introduced us to walkie talkie lingo and code words used by emergency responders and even police officers. Since we often have to work closely with law enforcement, it’s essential to understand their coded signals and numeric codes.

A few weeks ago, we visited the police academy to train together. We practiced real-time coordination exercises — simulating a rescue operation with both police and emergency teams. At first, it was hard to keep up with their rapid communication style, but after a while, I started catching on.

Now, I feel much more confident with radio communication. I’ve realized that walkie-talkies are not just gadgets — they’re lifelines that connect rescuers when it matters most. And I’m glad I found so many helpful materials online, including the resources I linked here. Thanks to those, my training has become easier and a lot more exciting.