A seismologist, working in a Central American region with frequent volcanic activity, told the following story during a recent conference:

"When I go to check my monitoring instruments placed in the hills, I carry a walky-talky to communicate with my colleagues in the seismological institute. But I take my radio out of my backpack only after making sure, that there is nobody nearby: If a policeman sees me using a radio, he will assume that I am an "elemento subversivo" – one of the rebels who live in this remote region – and he will arrest me. If a rebel sees with my walky-talky, he will be sure that I must be a policeman – and he will probably shoot me right away."

Radio equipment is still being associated with secret and potentially illegal activities even today, when men hiding bulky shortwave radio sets in shabby suitcases survive only in old spy movies. Disaster response may take place in a politically sensitive environment, and, in such a situation, operating emergency telecommunications equipment is often seen as a "suspect" activity.