A330
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Procedure; Company Policy; Chart Or Publication
Since I now know of three incidences in which an A330 found itself relying on battery power only on the ground; and did not have VHF 1. We need an FOM policy for lost communications on the ground as well as in flight. Without 1 VHF there is no way to coordinate rescue [per] FOM 4.4.1/.2 and our cell phones would be off if we were blessed enough to have one and be in a country in which it had service. I would not want to explain to relatives their loved one perished while my phone powered up to call Dispatch to call rescue; or worse yet; no one's phone worked in country. We could never explain why we didn't make contingencies for documented failures of battery only VHF 1 on ground. Failures are occurring that prevent evacuation checklist to be accomplished.
An A330 Captain reported losing electrical power on the ground and VHF 1 did not operate; so the crew had no means of contacting first responders or Dispatch unless their personal phones worked on foreign communications systems.