FRS radios are limited to a fixed antenna and 0.5W on transmissions. The combination FRS/GMRS radios may provide 2W on transmissions on the GMRS frequencies, but they still have fixed antennas. If you can find dedicated GMRS radios (no longer manufactured, as far as I can tell), they have a maximum power of 5W and have a removable antenna, so you can put an external magmount on it and get some better range.
People have tried to say that Channel 1 of FRS is the emergency call frequency, but there is no requirement and no general agreement. See
http://www.nationalsos.com/http://www.emcomus.org/commwp.htmlfor information on this effort.
_Generally_, FRS range is very limited - a few blocks. GMRS range with 5W and a more nearly decent antenna is several blocks in urban and suburban areas where there are buildings and trees.
My suggestion instead of FRS/GMRS is amateur radio. Most areas have repeaters, so even if you have a handheld ham radio of 5W, you often can hit a repeater. (Many places sell repeater directories so you can get local frequencies.) With a decent mobile radio of 25W or so and an external antenna, you'll be much more likely to raise someone than you would sitting in a stranded truck with your FRS.
In some locations, CB is heavily used, and you can raise someone quicker that way, but in many areas, CB is not that common.
My 2002 ARRL repeater directory lists 4 repeaters (2 meters) in Grants Pass, 2 in Medford, 4 in Rogue Valley. Whether the Kim family could have hit any of them from their location, I can't say. I have no doubt they would have had no contacts on FRS.
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